Heart of Darkness
by Persephone287
Summary: AU - The Gilbert's and the Salvatore Vampires have been fighting each other for over a century. When her parents die because of it, Elena's uncle Grayson thinks keeping her oblivious to the supernatural will keep her safe. Until she's kidnapped by Damon Salvatore... **Slow Burn** Rated M for steamy adult content in later chapters (also my potty mouth).
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

**G**rayson Gilbert sipped coffee standing at this kitchen counter and stared at his niece. He called her 'niece' but she may as well of been his daughter. Her parents had been killed when she was two and he took her in. He'd raised her, protected her, loved her, and made sure she had the most normal life he could offer her. He started to notice it when she was three but he did his best to ignore it. However, by the time she was 10 there was no denying the resemblance. He dismissed it as an ancestral likeness until he saw the creature watching her. One day as he pulled up to the school to pick her up he saw it standing at the edge of the parking lot watching her every move. Then its electric blue eyes turned to him with a smirk and it gave him a little finger wave. Grayson had all but dragged her away from the school with an unnerving sense that they hadn't seen the last of the deceptively attractive monster.

She was angry with him for an entire year when he pulled her from school and started tutoring her himself. Eventually she forgave him and they became inseparable. They did regular school subjects for three hours a day but instead of normal gym class, he taught her to defend herself in every way he knew how. Much as he wanted her to have an ordinary life, he doubted things would be that easy for her and he had a feeling she was going to need her strength.

His wife left shortly after John and Isobel died and she took their young son with her. He couldn't say he blamed her. This life was dangerous and his brother's death had changed him. It was just the two of them now. It was probably for the best since Elena, his niece, was the only person who seemed to be able to tolerate him anymore. Fortunately family money was plentiful and he was able to quit his manager position at the print factory so he could devote himself entirely to her. Now she was 18 and every time he looked at the lovely face that fate had seen fit to give her, he could only think of the danger it would put her in. It wouldn't be long before she wanted to venture outside the neighborhood he had thus far been able to keep her in and he was terrified of what would happen to her out in the world.

"**U**ncle Grayson, you're staring at me again" Elena said, peering up at him from the kitchen table.

Elena didn't know what was wrong with her uncle. She'd turned 18 three months ago and after her birthday he'd begun staring at her for long periods of time. He would get eerily quiet and stare at her face with this strange look in his eyes; like he couldn't decide what to do with her.

"Sorry dear" he said "Are you ready to start the day?"

"Yep!" she replied.

She picked up her cereal bowl, finished her milk, and pushed away from the table. She gathered her schoolwork and followed him to the living room where they'd set up their makeshift classroom. They sat down together at the long library table in the center of the room and the day went by as normal. English first, math last, and today they ended with weights. She hated weights but Uncle Grayson insisted. As of late he'd demanded an extra hour of her in the basement gym he'd set up. _"You never know what's out there." _He would say.

The mantra had never made any sense to her but it was obviously important to him so she tried her best not to complain too much. Her uncle had always been an intense man but the last three months he had been relentless in her training and he seemed to be distancing himself from her. She felt like he was prepping her for battle and it left her hurt and confused. He was her only companion and she was starting to get lonely. They had always been so close, spending every waking minute together. Sometimes they would spend hours making up stories together. Their favorite game was to have one of them start a story and then pass it back and forth. Maybe he'd start with a detective story and she would turn it into a love story and then he would somehow make it a ghost story. Every once in a while he would cut their day short and they'd watch movies until they fell asleep on the couch. But since her birthday, he would lock himself in his office after the day was over and stay there all night. She missed him and she didn't understand what she'd done to drive him away.

"Ok, we can stop now" he said after a final set with the 50 pound dumbbells. Relieved, she dropped her weights on the floor with a thud. Her muscles screamed at her and she took a moment to close her eyes and take several deep breaths. By the time she'd opened her eyes, Uncle Grayson was halfway up the stairs.

"Goodnight" he called over his shoulder.

"Goodnight…" she mumbled, annoyed he was abandoning her again.

**G**rayson closed the door to his office and locked it. He sat at his desk and put his head in his hands. She was starting to suspect something, though he was reasonably certain she still had no idea what was going on. The faces of his brother, his beautiful sister-in-law, and the baby they never really got to know stared back at him from the silver photo frame. John Gilbert had been a good man before his sanity abandoned him. Elena thought her parents had been killed in a car accident. Sheltering her from the truth seemed like the kind thing to do. How do you tell a girl her mother deserted her? Or that her father, his little brother, had been driven to his death by rage and jealousy? Then there was the demon vampire who had been ridding the world of Gilberts for over a century. Before the tragedy that befell his brother and Isobel, Grayson had worked hard to foster peace with the creature after his father died. It had worked surprisingly well for nearly a decade. Grayson had never liked taking life, even if the person he was killing was technically already dead, and the obligation to hunt and kill vampires had died with the previous Gilbert patriarch. The vampire had taken notice and, for a time, he let himself believe his family had finally rid themselves of the supernatural. He should have known better.

When John and Isobel died, he knew the peace was over. Soon after discovering the bloodless bodies of his two closest cousins, Grayson purchased a house for him and Elena. Then he'd turned it into a veritable fortress. The best security system money could buy, weapons hidden all over the house, reinforced windows and doors, locks that were supposed to be impenetrable, and all of it invisible to the naked eye. Of course Elena knew there was a security system, but aside from that he'd never told her about his little improvements. With a sigh, he opened his bottom drawer and took out a long wooden stake and turned it over in his hands. It looked much like all the other wooden stakes he had, except this one was stained with blood and if you looked very closely, you could see tiny carvings underneath the crimson stain. This particular stake had only been used by two men since it had been forged over 100 years ago. It had been in his family since the day his ancestor rammed it into the heart of one of the cruelest vampires ever to walk the earth.

The man his brother had been named for, the first Jonathon Gilbert, had always been a madman in Grayson's mind. He'd been brought up to think him a hero but all he could see was a man blinded by hate and fury. Grayson supposed he should have had some sympathy for his forefather since a heartless creature had made a meal of his wife and unborn child while he was away hunting. Based on the journals he left behind, finding his wife's broken body, with her throat mangled, and their baby dead in her womb, had broken something inside him.

_1864 - Johnathon Gilbert_

**B**eing a member of a founding family, he had always been aware of the supernatural element that existed in Mystic Falls and after the initial shock of finding Margaret's mangled corpse, he knew immediately what had done this brutal thing. That night he swore that his life's mission would be to end as many vampires as he possibly could. His older sister took pity on him and adopted his two young children. Johnathon knew he would never be a proper father to them. The faces of his daughter and son only stood to remind him of the wife and child he had lost. After ensuring their safety, he sought out the most powerful witch in Mystic Falls, Emily Bennett. She helped him make a powerful stake made of white oak. When driven into the heart of a vampire, it would absorb the creature's strength and transfer it to the person holding it. Stake in hand, he set out to find the vampire who killed his family. It was then that he realized the town of Mystic Falls was infested with vampires. Dozens of them pretending to be normal people and all the while draining their neighbors of their blood. Johnathon was enraged and after finding and killing his first vampire, the rage turned to madness. With every kill he made using the stake, his body became stronger and his mind got weaker. The townspeople came to know him for his temper and they began to avoid him at all costs. All save his oldest friend, Giuseppe Salvatore, who refused to give up on him. Giuseppe was the only one brave enough to speak to Johnathon, to listen to his ranting, and try to keep him calm. His efforts were wasted. Johnathon's obsession and hatred ran far too deep. It had completely consumed him. Still, Giuseppe never abandoned him and it was during one of their talks that Johnathon learned of his friend's new house guest. A girl who claimed to have been stranded by a fire had appeared on Giuseppe's doorstep a short while after Johnathon's wife had been killed. Giuseppe was concerned about her coming between his sons. They were competing for her affections and the longer it went on, the farther apart the brothers grew. Johnathon had known the Salvatore brothers since they were just boys and he decided they needed a talking to. When he knocked on the door of the Salvatore mansion the next day a stunning young girl answered the door.

"Hello" she said with a small smile "I'm Katherine."

The hunter's instinct washed over him and he knew instantly what she was. The stake was at his home and while he was sure he would survive a fight with her, he wasn't certain he could kill her.

"I came to see Stefan and Damon" he told her through his teeth.

"They're not here at the moment. Who can I tell them came to call?" her voice was low and silky and her big brown eyes sparkled with mischief.

He could see why they were fighting over her. It made no difference to him. She still had to die.

"You can tell them John Gilbert came to see them." he said and turned to leave.

He rushed home to get the stake and started making his way back to the Salvatore mansion. It was dark when he returned and the house was very quiet. There should have been lights burning this time of night. It was dinnertime and he was immediately alarmed. He crept slowly up to the house and onto the porch so he could see in the window. What he saw broke what little sanity he had been holding onto. The vampire bitch was standing in the living room. She had just begun tearing into his friend's neck when she noticed Johnathon at the window. She dropped Giuseppe to the floor, licking her lips and smiling. Damon's body lay next to Stefan's. Their necks were bent at an unnatural angle and had apparently been snapped. He couldn't understand why their throats hadn't been torn open. He didn't think about it for long. He burst through the door, grabbed Katherine by the throat and shoved her against the wall. She was clearly surprised but it only lasted a moment. She smiled an evil little smile, pried his fingers off her neck, and threw him across the room. He recovered in seconds and before she could make another move he was back across the room. He knocked her down and put his knees on her chest. He'd caught her by surprise again and he drove the stake toward her heart. She grabbed his wrist but he knew he had her.

"Your wife died screaming" Katherine hissed "She begged me not to kill her baby"

Johnathon's eyes bulged and he shrieked before he drove the stake down through her chest and into her heart. Her face drained of color, turning a sickly shade of gray. When he was sure she was dead he walked calmly back to his house and penned the whole sordid tale in a journal. He then wrapped the stake in a cloth and left a detailed note explaining why it should never be used by anyone. After that, as far as anyone could tell, he walked into the woods and was never seen or heard from again.

The bodies of Katherine and the Salvatore brothers mysteriously disappeared. Shortly thereafter Gilbert's started to die horrible deaths. The few who survived the attacks spoke of a ruthless, blue eyed demon. It didn't take the Gilbert family long to start seeking out vampires and killing them in an effort to survive.

**G**rayson was lost in thought, turning the stake over in his hands. He thought about the girl sleeping upstairs and his desire to protect her. He loved her but he'd had trouble looking her in the eyes lately. It was becoming harder and harder to lie to her but he couldn't think of a good way to tell her any of it_. Elena my dear, you come from a long line of vampire hunters. In fact, you're the first Gilbert not to hunt vampires in 40 years_. He was pulled out of his musing when he heard the noise above him. The alarm system was quiet but instinct had him leaping from the chair. He was already too late.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**E**lena woke to a hand over her mouth. Her eyes flew open and she started to thrash wildly. Jolts of pure panic shot through her and she felt her heart go into overdrive as her hand connected with the lamp on her nightstand and she heard glass shatter. Fingers curled tightly around her neck and suddenly she was staring into icy blue eyes. It was dark but the moon was bright and she could just make out the man hovering above her. His beautiful, chiseled face was cold and his perfect lips were twisted into a cruel sneer.

"Stop moving and don't make a sound" he commanded and removed his hand from her mouth.

She didn't know why but she stopped. She couldn't move and he was staring, no not staring, he was drinking her in with his eyes. They swept down her body and she blushed. It was hot out and she only wore her pajama shorts and a tank top.

"If I couldn't hear your heart hammering in your chest, I'd never believe you weren't her" he said quietly.

_How could he possibly hear my heart? Maybe it really is going to beat out of my chest_ she thought, panicked.

When he produced a syringe she tried to scream but her mouth wouldn't make any sound.

"Sweet dreams" he said as he pushed the needle into her arm.

She felt herself being lifted and then everything was black.

When she woke again she knew right away she wasn't in her own room. Her eyes felt so heavy and it took everything she had to pry them open. She had to blink a few times before she could even hold them open. Sitting up in the very comfortable bed, she tried to take in her surroundings. She was in a bedroom and it was still dark outside. Her head felt fuzzy and the room started to spin when she moved her head. Determined to get up and inspect the room, she closed her eyes, breathed deeply, and counted to ten. She had to do it twice before her eyes would focus but she pushed herself around so she sat on the edge of the bed with her toes touching the floor. Another wave of dizziness hit her so she counted to ten a third time and forced herself to look around the room. Her heart sank when she spied the large deadbolt on the door. Its surface was flat and it was almost certainly locked from the outside. She made her way slowly to the door and jiggled the handle to be sure. It was, in fact, locked tight. The window on the other side of the bed was big and she assumed it would be locked as well, but she tried it anyway.

"Damn" she muttered, finding thick panes that didn't appear to have any way to open them at all.

Fear started to set in and she crossed her arms over her chest. She took more deep breaths and tried to think of a reason someone would kidnap her. Try as she might she could think of nothing but the electric blue eyes that had stared into hers before the drug knocked her out. The memory made her heart pound and her hands shake. She nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of his voice behind her.

"Hello, Elena."

**D**amon had been debating on whether or not to going inside the room for the better part of ten minutes. The sounds of her stirring had drawn him to the very door he'd promised he would do his best to avoid. Though he couldn't say he was surprised to find himself standing here. _That face _he thought. It was uncanny and he had to know what she was like. The wild jumping of her heart made up his mind for him. Silently, he unlocked the door and entered the room undetected. He smirked when she started at his greeting. Her whole body tensed up and he heard her breath hitch before she twirled around to face him. To his surprise, she didn't scream or try to run. She stood her ground and met his eyes with determination. He decided she was either very brave or very stupid. Maybe a little of both.

"I didn't mean to scare you" he lied as he advanced on her.

"Yes you did" she said and took a step back.

The smirk returned and in the blink of an eye he was across the room in front of her. She gasped and leaned away from him.

"You're right. I did" he was inches from her face when he breathed the words, but her gaze never wavered from his.

He leaned back but he was still invading her personal space.

"Do you know what I am?" he asked.

"You're the man who kidnapped me?" she replied, genuinely befuddled.

"Grayson Gilbert is a fool" he chuckled and reached out to touch her cheek.

She flinched for the first time and her expression turned angry.

"Don't talk about my uncle!" she snapped at him.

His hand shot up and grabbed her chin.

"Watch your tone little girl" he snarled at her.

"Let me go!" she tried to jerk her face away but his grip was like iron.

"You're not in a position to be giving orders, Elena" he hissed at her.

"How do you know my name?" she shouted at him.

Before he had a chance to answer, she brought her arm up and shoved her elbow down on the arm holding her in place. The move was smart and he was surprised at how strong she was. Still, her efforts were in vain and in a flash he had her pinned with her face against the wall and her arm twisted behind her back. He spun her around to face him again, forcing her dark brown eyes to meet his. Damon put his body as close as to hers as he could without actually touching and placed his hands on either side of her head so she couldn't look away from him.

"Stay. Right. Where. You. Are" he compelled her.

He watched her eyes grow large when the veins on his face began to pop up and stir wildly under his skin. He heard her suck in a tiny gasp as his eyes turned an evil shade of red. The blood was pumping rapidly through her veins. He could hear her heart fluttering in her chest like a hummingbird's. He inhaled the faint scent of her vanilla perfume mixed with anxiety. It was intoxicating and the razor sharp teeth just under his gums were aching to come out. _Just a tiny taste…_ he thought and started to move one hand down to her throat.

"What are you?" her voice was hoarse and it brought him out of his trance. He bared his fangs at her and growled low in his chest.

**T**ears popped into her eyes and terror washed over her. Elena let out a strangled cry as one word flashed through her mind. _Vampire_. She didn't know how she knew but she was sure that she was right. He was actually a vampire. She tried to set aside the impossibility of the situation and forced herself to think. She decided to keep him talking. Maybe she could distract him from eating her.

"Are you going to kill me?" she heard her voice shake and she hated it.

Her uncle had taught her never to fear anything. He taught her to get back up, no matter how many times she got knocked down. _Stay calm, think it through. What's your next move? What's the smartest move? _She could hear his voice and she was trying to remember her lessons but there was a vampire six inches from her face.

Underneath the fear Elena couldn't help but think he was beautiful, even like this. She'd been trying to pretend she didn't notice the way he looked from the moment she spun around to find him standing there. It was difficult to ignore a face that could have been carved out of marble. The pieces of raven colored hair that hung in his face were begging her to reach out and brush them away. His eyes, oh God, his eyes were hypnotizing her. They seemed to be every shade of blue all at once. The predatory look in them was completely terrifying but enthralling at the same time. She couldn't tear her eyes away from them.

He tilted his head and gave her an odd look. His face returned to normal but he didn't move his body.

"I'm not sure." he told her.

He'd just told her he might kill her and all she could think about was how good he smelled. _What the hell is wrong with me? _She thought and frantically tried to keep her focus.

"Why can't I move?"

"Because I told you not to, it's a vampire thing." he replied casually.

"Do I get to know your name?" she dared to ask.

"I suppose it's only fair" he said with a tiny smile. "I'm Damon Salvatore."

"Ok, Damon. Why did you kidnap me?" she asked.

"Because I need your blood" he said matter-of-factly.

He was still inches from her face. She could feel his cool breath on her cheeks and his eyes were staring into hers intently, as though he was looking for something. She steeled herself and stared back into the blue depths.

"All of it?" her body started to tremble as she choked out the question.

It seemed to catch him off guard and he pushed away from her.

"I'm not sure about that either" he turned his back on her and stared out the window.

She let go of a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding in.

"You can move now" he said quietly.

The relief of having control of her body back was brief when it occurred to her that he could probably force her to do anything he wanted. Moving gingerly away from the wall, she sat down on the edge of the bed. The tears she'd been trying desperately to hold in were now flowing noiselessly down her cheeks. She refused to break down completely in front of him but everything was hitting her all at once. A thousand questions raced through her mind. _Vampires are real? Did Uncle Grayson know about this? Had he been lying to her all this time? Why doesn't Damon know if he's going to kill me? Am I going to die here? Where the hell is 'here'? Oh my God, vampires are real?_

She choked back a sob and suddenly he was kneeling down in front of her. He lifted her chin gently with the tip of his finger and she reluctantly met his gaze.

"I…that was stupid of me" it almost sounded like an apology.

"No one is going to hurt you today, or tomorrow, or this week for that matter. I promise."

She shook her head.

"Why should I believe you?"

"Because, for the moment, I need you alive and everyone in this house wants me to get what I need."

"What is it exactly that you need?" she asked him.

**I**t was a loaded question that he wasn't entirely sure how to answer. He stood up and sat next to her on the bed. After a long moment he sighed. _You really shouldn't be telling her this _he thought.

"I need my brother back" he said.

_What the hell, might as well get it out of the way _he reasoned with himself.

He heard her take a deep breath and chewed her bottom lip before she spoke again.

"And you need my blood for that?" she'd collected herself enough to return to her game of twenty questions.

"Yes" he confirmed.

"But… not right now?" she asked, her eyebrow raised and an incredulous look on her face.

He couldn't stop the little lopsided grin that crept over his lips. It was obvious that she was not okay, and rightfully so, but for someone who had just learned she'd been kidnapped by a vampire she was surprisingly calm. He couldn't help but admire her for thinking through the panic.

"My witch is incommunicado at the moment and I need her to tell me how much of your blood we need. I also need her to finish telling me the rest of the ingredients for this damned spell" he murmured the last part.

"I'm so confused" he could hear the tears in her voice.

He was disturbed to realize that it bothered him and that he really didn't want her to start crying again.

"I'll explain everything" he promised.

"But first you should get out of your PJ's and take a shower. It's going to be a long night" he gestured toward the door that led to an attached bathroom.

"There are clothes for you in the closet. I'll come back for you in an hour. I'll get you some food and we can talk" Damon stood up and held his hand out to her.

"And you'll tell me everything?" she sounded skeptical and she ignored his hand and pushed herself to her feet.

"I swear" he said.

He dropped his hand and his eyes moved slowly down her body. The tank top and shorts she was wearing left little to the imagination. He smirked at her, pleased at the blush on her cheeks.

"Cute PJ's" he told her and disappeared through the door.

The image of her blushing cheeks had him smiling as he walked down the stairs. Damon was finding the idea of killing her less appealing by the minute. Both the idea of killing her and not _wanting _to kill her troubled him. The moment he hit the bottom of the stairs his musing were interrupted by a blonde blur and suddenly he was halfway down the hall on his ass.

"Seriously? Have you lost your mind?" Caroline Forbes' pretty face was furious as she shouted at him from the other end of the hall.

He didn't care what he'd done, no one shoved him in _his _house and he was on her in a flurry of movement. A fraction of a second later, he had her pinned to the wall and dragged her up by her neck.

"Have _you _lost _your _mind, Blondie?" he sneered at her.

"Put me down!" she gasped, clawing at his hands.

"What is with everyone thinking they can order me around today?" but he dropped her anyway.

She rubbed her neck and glared at him.

"What's got you in such a good mood? Oh wait, I know. You kidnapped someone!" the sarcasm in her voice grated on his nerves and he stormed off before he decided to break her neck.

She followed him to the parlor. At least she waited until he'd had a taken a sip of his bourbon before she started in on him again.

"So? Are you going to tell me why you kidnapped John Gilbert's daughter? She has nothing to do with any of this, Damon. She's innocent."

"Don't you think I know that?" he snapped.

He finished his drink in an uncharacteristic single gulp and sat down on the couch with his head in his hands.

"We have to get him back, Caroline." He whispered.

He felt her sit down next to him.

"Not if it means killing an innocent girl. You know he wouldn't want that. And don't you dare say he wouldn't have to know. He'd find out. You two suck at lying to each other." Her voice was so sure and steady, sometimes he understood why his brother kept her around and why their best friend, Klaus, had fallen for her.

"What if it's the only way?" he looked up at her desperately.

"Then we don't do it" she said firmly.

He shook his head and stood up to pace the room.

"How many times do I have to tell you? I'm not going to leave him like that!" he yelled.

He looked up at the clock and swore.

"What? You have somewhere to be?" she asked.

"No, I have to make the girl some food" he said with a sigh.

He poured another drink and headed for the kitchen, knowing his little blonde nightmare was right behind him.

"Damon, promise me you won't kill her" she pleaded.

"I can't do that" he said stubbornly as he moved expertly through the kitchen.

"Ugh why are you so frustrating? I am in love with the most frustrating man on the planet and you still manage to drive me nuts."

She whirled around to leave, only to find the object of her affections behind her.

"Hello, love"

The man with the sandy colored curls and a secret smile moved forward to wrap his arms around Caroline. Damon wanted to gag.

"Will you please talk some sense into him?" Caroline pleaded and batted her eyelashes at Klaus.

Damon slammed a pan down on the stove and turned around.

"Hey Blondie, why don't you go make nice with our guest and bring her down for dinner" it didn't come out as a question.

"But you're not done cooking" she pouted.

"It'll be done in a few minutes. I'm sure you'll find something to talk to her about while I cook" he gritted out.

She opened her mouth to speak but he gave her a dark look.

She rolled her eyes at him.

"Fine."

Klaus pulled her back for a quick kiss and watched her walk away. Damon could practically feel the scorn coming from his old friend.

"What have you done now?"

"Exactly what I told you I was going to do" Damon replied.

"Ah yes. I take it you've figured the rest out then?"

"Well…almost. You should get a drink and sit down."

**E**lena took the longest shower of her life. She stood under the scalding hot water and tried very hard to remain calm but in the end she broke down and cried harder than she could ever remember crying before. One minute her only worry in the world was a grouchy uncle and the next she was in a strange house with a mythical creature she'd never even imagined could be real. Reluctantly, she'd turned off the water and stepped out to find clothes. She was just pulling on a long sleeve shirt when the knock at the door came. Her heart leaped and she swallowed thickly. _Why would he knock? _

"Come in?" she said uncertainly.

The door clicked open and a pretty blonde girl with a friendly smile poked her head in.

"Uh, hi." Elena said awkwardly.

The girl bounded across the room and held out her hand.

"Hi! I'm Caroline."

Elena grasped her hand and Caroline shook it enthusiastically. Her face was so genuine she couldn't help but smile back.

"I'm Elena."

"I know" she said quickly. "Damon sent me to get you for dinner."

Elena thought about the implications of that statement and cringed a little.

Caroline's hand flew to her mouth.

"Not like that! I swear. I'm so sorry. I don't think before I say things" she blurted out "I think he made pasta."

Elena nodded slowly.

"Are you a….?" the question got lost in her throat.

Caroline seemed unfazed.

"Vampire? Yep! But I don't hurt people so you're safe with me. Promise"

She flashed her warm smile again and Elena found she liked her already.

"Does Damon hurt people?" she tried to sound brave but she was pretty sure it came out in a squeak.

The blonde let out a heavy sigh before she answered in a defeated voice.

"Not as often as he used to."

Elena opened her mouth to speak and then closed it before deciding she wasn't sure she wanted to know any more on that subject. Nevertheless, she needed answers and Caroline clearly had them so she pressed on.

"So do you know why I'm here?"

Caroline looked down at her hands and faltered with the answer.

"Yes…"

"Will you explain it to me?" Elena implored.

"I can't but Damon will explain everything. If he leaves anything out I swear I'll fill it in."

"Okay" Elena said quietly and tried to turn the conversation around once more.

"How do you know Damon?"

"He's my best friend's brother" Caroline replied sadly.

The grief lasted all of two seconds before she recovered and the smile returned.

"We should go before Damon starts to get impatient."

"God forbid" Elena muttered.

She thought she saw a tiny smile cross Caroline's face before she turned and opened the door.

When they stepped out into the hallway, Elena got her first glimpse of the house. It was even bigger than she'd imagined. Everything looked very old and very expensive. She was gaping at the grandeur of it all and nearly tumbled down the stairs before Caroline caught her arm.

"It's pretty isn't it?" she asked.

Elena could only nod in reply.

Caroline giggled and grabbed Elena's hand.

"Come on, slow poke!"

She couldn't stop the giggle that bubbled up from her lips as she struggled to keep up with the vampire dragging her down the hall. They finally skittered to a halt in front of a doorway that led to an expansive kitchen. Two men sat at the large island running down the center of the kitchen, both holding a glass of amber liquid in their hands. One of them was Damon and the other she didn't recognize. Their voices were hushed as she and Caroline approached.

"Secrets don't make friends" Caroline teased.

She crept up behind the attractive blonde man Elena didn't know and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Hello, Caroline"

The stranger spoke with a distinctly British accent and the way he said her name made Elena think he and the blonde were not just _friends_. Her suspicions were confirmed when he leaned back into her and Caroline planted a kiss on his forehead.

"Elena, this is Klaus. The love of my life" she beamed down at him as she said it.

Klaus seemed to notice Elena for the first time and when he really looked at her, he gawked at her in awe. His stormy colored eyes flashed to Damon and then back to her several times. It somewhat unnerving.

"Hello… Elena" he said, finally.

"Hi" she answered tentatively.

He looked back at Damon and chuckled.

"Oh my friend, what have you gotten yourself into?"

Damon shook his head and finished the glass of what Elena assumed was whiskey.

Klaus stood and took Caroline's arm.

"Sweetheart, why don't we give these two a minute to talk?" he said, his voice cool.

"But…" Caroline started to protest and for a moment Elena was relieved.

She didn't want to be alone with the blue eyed demon that made her pulse race. Her hopes were dashed when Klaus cut her off.

"Damon has promised me that no harm will come to her and he will answer every single question she has" he tried to appease as he started to pull her away.

"I…alright but I'm giving her a tour of the house tomorrow. So she had better _be_ here tomorrow."

The statement was directed pointedly at Damon. Caroline's blue eyes met Elena's and silently apologized as Klaus all but dragged her from the room.

That left the two of them. She gathered her courage and looked over at him. She cursed herself when his eyes stole her breath again. It wasn't just the impossible shade of blue that sent her heart into overdrive. It was the way he looked at _her, _like he might devour her at any moment. _Calm down, take a deep breath. You can do this. _She thought to herself and tried to put on a smile.

"Caroline said something about pasta?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**D**amon felt his lips twitch involuntarily and he stood to pull out the chair Klaus had abandoned. She'd recovered from their earlier encounter and had even managed to put on a smile. The girl had spunk.

"You ok eating in the kitchen?" he asked.

"Sure, this is great" she said as she took the seat.

He brought her a huge plate of pasta covered in a heavenly smelling pesto sauce.

"Dig in" he said.

She paused for a beat before picking up her fork and taking a big bite. The noise she made in her throat would have been inaudible to anyone else. Lucky him, he heard everything and the little 'mmm' had his stomach clenching. He wondered if she would make that sound when he kissed her. _Don't go there _he told himself. He turned back to the oven and produced a tray of garlic bread. He'd barely set it down when she snatched a piece.

"Good?" he asked as he sat back down.

"Yes really good. I didn't realize I was so hungry. Thank you" she replied between bites.

It was strange, to look at her and see Katherine's face when this girl was so plainly _not _Katherine. The features were the same but her chocolate colored eyes were warm and her face was expressive. He doubted she'd ever successfully deceived anyone in her life. Not to mention she'd just thanked the vampire who'd kidnapped her from her bed in the middle of the night. The heart she so plainly wore on her sleeve was kind, considerate, and reminded him of his little brother. She caught him staring and held his gaze.

"Please Damon" she begged him "just tell me what's happening. Why am I here?"

"You're a doppelgänger" _might as well jump right in _he thought.

"What does that mean?" she interrupted.

Her voice sounded strained and he did his best to keep his temper in check.

"I'm getting there. Give me a damn minute." he said through clenched teeth.

She fell instantly silent.

"The woman who made me what I am, and just to be clear, I am a _vampire._" he made sure she was looking at him when he said the last word.

She nodded very slowly.

"Anyway, the woman who turned me had your face. Not just a passing resemblance, she was identical to you. And really, as far as faces go, you could do a lot worse than Katherine Pierce."

He took in her features again. She had the dark brown eyes, small nose, pouty lips, and olive skin. Her chestnut locks were straight in this life but physically, everything about her was the same. He allowed himself a moment to wonder whether her petite frame would fit as snugly in his arms as her ancestor had.

"Damon?" her voice was quiet but it brought him back.

"Sorry" he ran his hand over his face "Where was I?"

"You were telling me someone else had my face" she said.

He nodded and then frowned when he looked down at her plate. She'd only eaten half of it and once again he found himself strangely concerned for her well-being.

"Finish your food" he told her.

She obediently picked up her fork and resumed eating.

Satisfied, he continued. He explained about the original Jonathon Gilbert and the untimely end of his family. When he stopped she opened her mouth to speak, but he held up a hand.

"Wait. We're just getting started" he said and stood to pour another drink.

He took a long swallow of bourbon before he started talking again.

"The night my brother and I turned into vampires, Jonathon Gilbert came to our house and found Katherine draining our father of blood. Our bodies were on the floor and he assumed we were dead."

He started to pace the kitchen as he talked.

"Little did anyone know, Katherine had been compelling us to drink her blood and then forget about it for weeks. That night she told us that she loved us both and we would be together forever. We tried to stop her when she went for our father but she broke our necks. When we woke up, daddy dearest and Katherine were dead on the floor. The blood that pooled around my brother and I turned out to be too much to resist, and so the blood of our father and the blood of your ancestor made us what we are.

"Oh my god…" he heard her whisper.

"Still not done yet." He went to pour another drink but thought better of it and just grabbed the bottle.

When he turned around, her jaw was slack and her eyes were wide.

"Are you ok? Do you want me to stop?" he asked.

"No!" she exclaimed "Can I ask a question though?"

"Of course." he said with a wave of his hand.

"So to become a vampire you have to drink vampire blood?"

"Uh-huh and then you have to die with it in your system. When you wake up, you drink human blood and bam, you're a vampire."

She sat quietly for a moment before she said "Ok. I'm ready to hear the rest."

"I hope so. There are no happy endings here" he said bitterly and continued with the story.

"Lucky for us Katherine had already outfitted us with our handy daylight rings" he held up his left hand to show her the ornate silver ring he wore.

"So after we buried our father and our lover, we left Mystic Falls. Sometimes we did the brother thing and sometimes we went our separate ways for a couple decades." He paused take another pull off the bottle.

"My diet makes my brother squeamish after a while."

"Your brother doesn't hurt people?" she interrupted again but he decided to indulge her curiosity this time.

"Nope. He and Caroline are on the bunny diet. Well Caroline cheats with blood bags but to my knowledge she's never killed anyone."

"Like actual bunnies?" she said and wrinkled her nose.

"Yes like Peter Cottontail bunny rabbits."

"Gross." she cringed.

"You'd rather they ate people?" he asked with raised brows.

"No but...never mind. Go on" she still looked disturbed by the bunny comment and he fought back a laugh.

"My brother and I don't always get along. In fact sometimes he's an insufferable martyr, but he's my brother and we managed just fine until the Gilbert's came back into our lives nearly twenty years ago." The last part came out laced with resentment.

"The Gilbert family tradition of hunting vampires started the night Katherine killed Mrs. Gilbert and her unborn child. The first Jonathon commissioned a witch to make him a stake that would steal a vampire's essence and transfer it to whoever used it to kill said vampire. He used that stake to kill dozens of vampires before he realized it was driving him nuts and by then it was too late. Apparently human brains aren't equipped to deal with supernatural powers. Every vampire he killed made his body stronger and his mind weaker. After he killed Katherine he left the stake with his remaining family members, walked off into the woods, and no one ever saw him again."

He stopped and examined her. She looked entranced.

"And?" she said.

Her voice was desperate and it made him smile.

"Patience. This is where you come in and I'd like to not scar you for life." _however long that life may be _his demon taunted.

The bourbon was getting to him and making it harder to control his dark side so he moved to the other side of the kitchen to put some distance between them.

"Me?"

"You" he told her softly.

She went quiet again and waited for him.

"Now we're in this century. Your uncle is carrying on the vampire hunting legacy while your dad goes to college and meets your mom. Your mom and dad get married baby makes three and all that jazz. Your uncle was not overly excited about the vampire hunting thing and when your grandfather died, he stopped hunting completely. I won't lie to you, Elena. I started hunting down Gilberts the night Johnathon killed Katherine and I've killed dozens of your relatives over the last century or so. But when Grayson quit hunting, I decided it was time to let bygones be bygones and left your family alone for nearly ten years. Everything was fine until Isobel Gilbert knocked on my door about two years after you were born. She was an expert parapsychologist and obsessed with vampires. So obsessed she would give up her life with her husband and child to become one. I suspect she knew who your family was before she married into it and as soon as she had access, she searched me out and asked me to turn her."

"No." Elena suddenly stood up.

"Elena" he said gently.

"You're lying!" she cried, her voice shook with anger and for the first time he caught a glimpse of the ferocity underneath her calm exterior.

"I wish I was but I'm not. I swear to you, I had no idea who she was. She was charming, beautiful and, to be honest, had she been anyone else I would have killed her but there was something about her that drew me in." he paused for a moment "apparently it runs in the family."

His last comment was lost on her as she gaped at him in disbelief.

"And my dad?" she asked.

"When he found out what I'd done, he came looking for me and your mom. I'm not sure who he hated more at that point, me or Isobel. He went on an undead killing spree with the stake until he found us here. Just like his ancestor, he was out of his mind by the time he got to us. He came after me and he nearly had me but Stefan…." He trailed off and took another swig from the bottle.

The anger on her face dwindled and she sat back down.

"What happened to Stefan?"

"The idiot threw himself in front of me and my little brother took a stake to the heart for me. Your dad though, he was not a quitter I'll give him that. He pulled the stake out and went for me again. With Stefan dead, there was no fight left in me. I was ready to die right there but your mom walked in at that exact moment. They took one look at one another and…" he trailed off and took another pull off the bottle before he told her the last part.

"I'm so sorry Elena, they killed each other" realizing he was thoroughly wasted and he might actually fall over, he sat back down in front of her.

"How?" she demanded quietly.

"I don't think you want that in your head." he warned

"How?!" she shouted

"He staked her but before she died, she ripped his heart out." he said it quickly and then took down the rest of the bottle in a single swallow.

He could practically hear her mind spinning but decided to rip off the proverbial Band-Aid and tell her the rest.

"I can't keep living knowing that Stefan died for me, Elena. He's the good brother who saves teenage girls and I'm the monster who kills them. He should be here and I can't stop until he's back in the land of the semi-living. My witch is on some stupid island finding me the answers I need. The cell service is a shitty in the middle of nowhere so I didn't catch it all, but I know I need doppelgänger blood to bring him back. There's something else but I lost the signal. I probably won't be able to get her for at least a couple of days."

"How did you find me?" she asked

"Witches are handy like that. A friend of Bonnie's did a locator spell with a lock of Katherine's hair I had. You come from her Petrova blood line so I was able to search for her only living relative. You"

"How did you know I even existed?"

"You can thank Klaus for that. He turned Katherine by accident about five hundred years ago. Regular immortality was just not good enough for my old buddy. Long story short, he wanted to be a vampire/werewolf hybrid and he had to kill the doppelgänger to do it. Katherine being Katherine, she convinced a vampire to feed her his blood and when Klaus killed her, she came back a vampire. Since Klaus found out after he killed her that she'd had a baby when she was a teenager, he knew there was another one out there. Don't ask me where it all started but as long as there are Petrova's, there will be doppelgängers."

"Why?"

"Who knows? I think witches make this crap up as they go along" he frowned down at the empty bottle in his hand.

"So it must've come from my mom's side, right?"

"Yep" he told her and watched her face as she absorbed it all.

Finally she looked back up at him, her doe eyes filled with sincerity.

"I'm sorry, Damon."

He was sure he was losing his mind when he heard her small voice and felt her warm fingers touch his hand.

"What?" he asked, bewildered.

"You lost your brother and I'm sorry" sympathy was written all over her face and he couldn't stand it.

He yanked his hand back and got up. After everything he'd just told her, she was sorry his brother was dead? He felt her compassion tugging at his heart and it made the vampire in him angry. The alcohol was coursing through his system and he hadn't 'eaten' in a few hours. The monster was trying to claw its way out and it didn't want to feel anything. It wanted to tear out her artery and revel in it.

"Do you have any more questions?" he asked coldly.

Damon knew he was drunk and stupid but he was pissed at her for making him feel like this. His humanity had been hanging by a thread for years but being here with her, he almost forgot he was a monster.

Her eyes were wide as she shook her head 'no'.

"Then it's time for bed" he told her, his voice hard.

**S**he looked at the clock and realized they'd been talking for hours. He grabbed her arm and wrenched her to her feet. His fingers dug painfully into her arm as he pulled her up the stairs and she cried out in pain.

"Let go! You're hurting me!" she yelled and tried to pull free.

There was a _whoosh _before her back connected with the bedroom door. She looked around but she didn't see him. There was another flurry of movement and she was suddenly in her room, her back now pressed against the opposite side of the door. It was dark and though she couldn't see him, she could sense that he was there somewhere. All her training, all the hours spent on weapons and hand to hand combat, none of it meant anything here with him. She felt like a mouse cowering in a corner, trying to hide from a hungry cat.

Then his voice was coming from everywhere all at once, filling the pitch black room with his spite.

"That's what I do, Elena. I'm a vampire. I hurt people."

The utter lack of emotion in his voice sent shivers down her spine.

"I might need you alive but I don't have to kill you to hurt you" he taunted.

Every instinct told her to scream and run but she gritted her teeth and held it in. She wouldn't let him have the satisfaction. She tried to think of a way to talk him down or a way to hurt him somehow, but nothing came to mind. There was no next move. She was trapped in a dark room with a vampire. A very drunk, angry vampire.

There was a gust of air to her right that made her gasp and suddenly the room was filled with light. She could see him now, on the opposite side of the room. She pressed herself into the door and wished she could just disappear into the wood. His movements were predatory as he advanced on her. His cool blue gaze never left hers and it seemed to freeze her in place.

"You have no idea what I'm capable of, Elena" he mocked her "your uncle really should have explained it all to you."

Anger flared behind her eyes at the mention of her uncle but before she could say anything he was in front of her, his face only millimeters from hers. He grinned down at her evilly.

"I've got to hand it to him though. You are a tough little thing" he murmured and brushed a lock of hair out of her face.

Elena's hand itched to slap the smug smile off his face but she managed to remain perfectly still. One wrong move and she feared he might snap so she stayed motionless and quiet. She could feel his cool breath, thick with the odor of bourbon, on her cheeks. When she finally looked back at his face, the vampire who wanted to hurt her was gone. The moment she met his eyes, he closed the short distance between them. His lips barely touched hers, just hovering over her mouth for what seemed like forever. She couldn't move, couldn't breathe. She wasn't sure if he was going to kiss her or kill her. _Maybe both _she thought.

The next second he was gone and she was alone and breathless. Elena shrank down to the floor with a sob. She couldn't understand him. She could swear she saw some good in him, some kindness. Then in a flash it was gone and he was ruthless. She dragged herself to her feet and collapsed on the bed, falling asleep the moment her head hit the pillow.

**C**aroline stood at the bottom of the stairs with that judgy look in her eyes.

"Don't start with me" he snapped as he brushed past her.

"You are such an ass" she said to his back.

"Goodnight Blondie." He said dismissively as he zipped away scrounge up a blood bag from the basement.

He'd denied himself earlier, not wanting to freak her out with blood in an antique crystal tumbler. Instead he got shit faced and terrified her. Again. It was probably best for both of them if he just stayed the hell away from her. He would let Caroline take care of her. Even as he told himself he would leave her alone, he knew it was a lie. Just knowing she was upstairs, locked up in a room not six feet from his was driving him wild. She was lucky she'd escaped the kitchen with her clothes and throat intact. It was in his nature to take what he wanted and never apologize for anything, but tonight she had coaxed whatever shred of humanity he had left into making an appearance. He finished the blood bag and went for another. Usually it was easy to turn off his emotions, like flipping a light-switch, but he couldn't shake the nagging feeling that he wanted her alive for reasons other than his own selfish needs.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**L**ight streamed through the large window and coaxed Elena's eyes open. She rolled onto her back, enjoying the way the sun felt on her face until the previous night's events washed over her. Doing her best to ignore the pit in her stomach she flung herself from the bed and went to the bathroom to wash her face. Her parents were people in photographs that she barely remembered but knowing they had murdered one another was eating at her. Part of her was so angry at her uncle for lying to her all these years but another part of her wished she still believed her parents had died in a car crash. It would have been easier to live with than the imaging her mother tearing out her father's heart as he stabbed her in the chest. _Then there's Damon_ she thought. His face had haunted her dreams and in spite of everything that had happened, he was all she could think about. He was terrifying and yet absolutely gorgeous. Every time he came near her, the air seemed to pulse with his energy. _He threatened to kill you, drain your blood, and you're thinking about his _energy_? _Her inner voice was reprimanding her but she couldn't help it. Exasperated with herself, she paced the room for twenty minutes before Caroline knocked on the door. As promised, she showed her the entire house. It took the better part of the day but mostly because Caroline stopped every couple of feet and chattered about the history behind some tapestry or who was in one of the dozens of portraits. Elena found it endearing and by the end of the day she'd almost forgotten she was being held hostage and could possibly be dead by the end of the week. When she did remember to look around for an escape she realized the house was in the middle of a vast forest. She couldn't even see a road past the driveway. Caroline caught her and gave her a sympathetic smile.

"The nearest town is eighty miles away" she said "and it's like 100 people that Damon compelled to bring you back here if they see you"

"You're joking right?" Elena asked, bewildered.

Caroline shook her head no.

"He's pretty thorough. Trust me, you wouldn't get very far"

Elena ran through the scenarios in her head and in every single one of them, a very pissed off Damon either killed her or brought her back here and locked her up somewhere much less pleasant than the bedroom she'd woken up in. She opted to focus on staying alive. Besides, since her uncle had pulled her from school, friends had been few and far between. Talking to Caroline felt like a piece of her she didn't know she was missing had fallen back into place.

The next two days were much the same. Caroline knocked on her door in the morning and they spent the day meandering around the expansive property, talking, laughing, and becoming fast friends. Elena tried to ignore the fact that Damon was nowhere to be found. She told herself she was glad she hadn't seen him. After all, he'd all but frightened the life out of her the other night. Clearly he was insane. Why would she want to be anywhere near a crazy vampire?

They were sitting on the front porch watching the sunset on the second day when Elena's curiosity got the better of her.

She turned to Caroline "Would it be rude to ask you how you became a vampire?"

"No" Caroline said with a smile "but it's not even that great of a story. I just had a really, really bad night."

Elena laughed "I want to hear it anyway."

Her new friend nodded.

"I was at a party in the woods and I was drinking…a lot. I'd just broken up with my boyfriend and I was fighting with my mom so I decided to get completely wasted. Somehow I wandered away from the party and got lost. The rest is kind of hazy for me but I guess I fell and hit my head. Stefan found me bleeding in the woods and he could tell I was hurt really badly. Like either her could give me his blood or I was going to die. So, being Stefan the Hero Vampire, he gave me his blood and carried me back to the party. He compelled my ex Tyler to take me home but on the way we were hit by a drunk driver. I know - ironic, right? Tyler died but I had Stefan's blood in my system so when I woke up and Tyler was there with all that blood…I couldn't stop myself" her voice was full of regret.

"Stefan smelled the blood and found me crying in the road. He blamed himself and he decided to take me in, to teach me to control it and not hurt people. He helped me compel my mom and dad into believing they sent me away to school and then I moved in here. At first I was so angry. I had a lot of plans for my life and in the blink of an eye, they were all ruined. But Stefan was nicer to me than anyone has ever been in my life. When I was alive I was a shallow, neurotic, control freak. I'm still kind of neurotic but Stefan showed me that I can be strong and smart, too. I couldn't have asked for a better teacher. Of course I thought he was so hot but he just wasn't into me like that and we ended up best friends instead. If I'm being completely honest, I'm a lot happier now than I was before and I was probably going to die that night anyway so at least this way I get to live even if I'm technically dead. There are worse ages than 17 to be stuck at, right?

Elena nodded and Caroline continued. Elena wondered if she'd been able to talk that fast when she'd actually had to breathe or if it was a vampire thing.

"After a while, even Damon grew on me. Especially after his old friend Klaus came to visit and never left" she smiled when she said Klaus' name but the smile disappeared as swiftly as it had appeared.

"Everything was pretty great before your mom came. Damon and Klaus weren't even killing people anymore. We weren't perfect but we were a family. It was the only real family I've ever had but without Stefan…" she trailed off, her voice suddenly sad.

She knew it wasn't her fault but Elena felt like she had to apologize for her mother.

"Caroline, I'm so sorry. I…I didn't even know her" she said lamely.

"I know. None of this has anything to do with you. Well, other than the fact that you look eerily like Katherine. But who knows what that even means!" she paused, clearly irritated "I won't let him kill you. If I have to break you out of here myself, I'll do it."

"Thanks, Caroline" it was hard to imagine anyone having a chance against Damon but it was nice to know she had an ally here and at least if she died, she wouldn't die friendless.

Elena reached over and put her hand on Caroline's shoulder. She saw a single tear slide down her cheek. _Screw it _she thought. She pulled her into a hug and after a moment the vampire was weeping into her shirt. Elena got the impression Caroline had been keeping this bottled up for quite a while so she held her while she cried and told her everything would be ok. She wasn't really sure if it was true but she said it anyway.

"Shit" Caroline pulled away and wiped her eyes "Damon is home."

Sure enough, a few seconds later a vintage blue Camaro pulled into the long driveway. Elena hadn't seen him since their confrontation at the bedroom door. Her stomach knotted at the thought of seeing him but it was too late to run away.

**H**e saw her sitting on his porch with Caroline and cursed under his breath. He'd managed to keep himself busy and leave her alone after he'd practically attacked her the other night. Now here she was and he couldn't avoid her anymore. _Well fuck _he thought as he parked his car in front of the house. He supposed now was as good a time as any to tell her what he'd learned today. He climbed out of the car and came around to greet them.

"Ladies" he said with his signature smirk.

"Hello, Damon" Caroline said "what have you been up to today?"

Her tone was snarky and he could feel an inquisition coming on.

"Oh you know this and that" he told her and before she could pester him anymore, he held out his hand to Elena.

"Would you let me cook for you again?" he tried to apologize with his eyes.

She pulled her hand out of her coat pocket but made no move to reach for him.

"Can I trust you?" she asked.

"In general? Probably not" he told her honestly "but I promise to be on my best behavior tonight."

She glanced at Caroline who gave her an encouraging smile.

He was relieved when she finally grasped his hand and allowed him to pull her up. He quickly turned his head and mouthed a 'thank you' to Caroline before following Elena into the house. The unease was coming off her in waves as she took her seat at the kitchen island.

"How about steak?" he asked her

"Sure" he grimaced at her cautious tone but said nothing as he started to move around the kitchen.

If she was afraid of him, it was his own damn fault and he knew it. It calmed him to gather the ingredients and prepare them. She didn't speak as he cooked and he took the opportunity to enjoy the steady beat of her heart. When she'd taken her seat it had been doing its regular hummingbird act but he listened to it slow to a normal rate as she watched him. Usually it would have tormented the monster inside him but tonight, the sound was soothing. He'd had his fill of blood today and he vowed to keep the bourbon in check tonight. He almost regretted breaking the silence when he set the plates in front of them.

"Would you like some wine?" he asked "it pairs with the steak."

"Yes, please" he was glad to hear her sound a little more relaxed.

He poured them each a glass and sat down next to her.

"I talked to Bonnie, my witch, today" he said.

"Oh" she'd stopped with a bite of steak halfway to her mouth.

"I… we…. No one is going to kill you. At least no one in this house" he told her.

Actually he'd felt like a complete moron when he'd finally reached his favorite little spell caster.

_"Damon" she'd chastised "do you really think I would have told you about a spell that required us to kill an innocent girl?"_

Foolishness was quickly replaced by relief. He could bring his brother back without hurting her. The feeling was strange. Why should he care if the girl lived or died? He did though and the inexplicable need to protect Elena Gilbert grew stronger every time he saw her. He dragged his fingers through his dark locks and tried to focus on the matter at hand. Bonnie had also supplied the name of the final ingredient they needed and he knew exactly who had it.

He watched her let out a long breath and nodded.

"So you just need a little blood?"

"Mmm-hmm" he replied.

"And you're going to let me go after we bring your brother back?"

"Yep" he said with a pop and fell silent for a moment.

"Elena I need you to be completely honest with me, ok?" he tried to keep his voice soft.

She nodded.

"No I need you to say it. Promise you'll tell me the truth."

"I promise" she said earnestly.

Satisfied, he stared into her eyes and resisted the urge to compel her.

"Did your uncle really not tell you anything about this world?"

"No, nothing" she said.

Her brows furrowed and he thought he detected a hint of anger in her words.

"Ok" he said.

Strangely, he believed her. There were only a handful people in the world he trusted but there was something about her, he knew she wouldn't lie to him.

He decided to change the subject.

"How's your steak?"

She grinned at him mid bite "Mmm. Mmm-hmmm."

He chuckled.

"Good."

"Can I ask you something?" she asked when she finished chewing.

"You? Ask a question? No. That would just be weird." he teased.

She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Go on, ask away."

"Why do you call her 'your' witch?" she asked.

"Ahh that's another long story" he said "but the jist of it is that I've had a deal with her family since the night I was turned. It was her great, great, great, great grandmother who made the daylight rings for us. After everything that happened to Jonathon she knew it was just a matter of time before the townspeople turned on the witches. She came to me and asked me to keep her family safe for as long as I lived and in return her family would help me with any... witchy problems I may have. She connected us through our blood with a spell so I know if something happens to them and they know if something happens to me."

"Does it work the same way with Stefan?"

"Nope, it's just me. Emily, the witch from 1864, knew which brother would be willing to snap a neck if she needed it. Not that it did her much good. I was too far away when they took her and by the time I got back to Mystic Falls, they were already burning her and her entire coven. I saved her kids and I guess that was enough to hold the blood connection. But in the end, she was just another person I couldn't save."

The memory made him long for the bottle of bourbon he'd purposely left in the other room. He and Emily had never been friends per se, but he'd made her a promise and the image of her smoldering corpse was burned into his mind.

Her voice rescued him from the dark recollections.

"Damon…I…I'm going to help you get your brother back. I'm promising you right now. Whatever it takes, we'll get him back. Ok?"

He looked over her face, finding nothing but honesty and a kindness he was sure he didn't deserve. He gave her a thin smile. At least today her kindheartedness didn't make him want to kill her. _Baby steps _he told himself.

"Thank you, Elena"

**S**he really liked him like this, relaxed and calm. Also his cooking was the best thing she'd ever eaten. In between bites she peppered him with more questions.

"How old are you?"

"I've been on this earth for a hundred and seventy years."

She could feel the astonishment on her face but she continued.

"How old were you when you were turned?"

"Twenty-two."

"What's your favorite era?"

"This one. Technology is amazing."

"What's with the mind control thing?"

This gave him pause but he answered "It's called compulsion."

"And you could make me do anything?" she knew she was treading into dangerous territory.

"Yes" he replied slowly.

She looked up and caught his gaze. His lips were ticked up in a crooked smile and he was doing that thing with his eyes again. She felt her cheeks burn and looked away.

"Why haven't you?"

"What fun would that be?" he asked "Besides you aren't the worst company in the world, Elena."

She smiled a little and took another bite.

"Will you let me show you something after dinner?" he asked her

She wavered for a moment before answering but he said he would be on his best behavior tonight.

"Yes"

After the last delicious bite, he took her plate and his to put them in the sink. He came back around to her and held out his hand once more. She took it and stood up. She let him lead her to a back door and he pulled out a key to open it. They walked out into a sprawling lawn that ended at the edge of a forest. She tried to keep calm as they headed for the trees. He seemed to sense her hesitation and squeezed her hand.

"It's ok" he said.

She chewed on her bottom lip for a moment but his smile reassured her and she let him tug her along.

She nearly ran into him as he came to an abrupt halt at the edge of the trees. He caught her elbow to keep her steady and then let go of her entirely.

"Look up" he commanded.

She tilted her head back and gasped. There were trillions of stars above her. It was like she could see every single star in the universe from here.

"Damon, this is incredible." She whispered

"I thought you might like it."

She looked over at him. His head was facing skyward and she took the opportunity to admire his profile. It was strong, sharp, and she had to resist the urge to trace his jawline with her finger. She wished she understood the affect he had on her. Her life had been pretty sheltered up until recently but this didn't feel like a normal teenage crush. Elena had a sneaking suspicion she would have a hard time staying mad at him, no matter what he did, and it scared her. Damon had made it clear he was capable of terrible things; he'd confessed to killing members of her family, he'd turned her mother into a vampire and he'd kidnapped her in the middle of the night with the intention of possibly sacrificing her life. Still, somehow she _knew_ there was good in him. Surely a man who would do literally anything to bring his brother back from the dead couldn't be all bad. It was obvious that he was not someone who trusted or made friends easily, but when he cared for someone it was passionate and fierce. It was hard for her not to wonder what it would be like to be loved by someone like that. She shook her head and turned back to the spectacular view above her. A slight breeze brushed over her arms and the moment she shivered, he was at her back with his jacket. She slipped her arms into it and was engulfed in his scent. It was spicy and very male, and when she breathed it in she felt oddly safe.

"Are you cold? We can go back inside"

"I'm ok. Can we stay a little longer?" she said, trying not to sound distressed.

It was so wonderful to be outside and away from the house.

"I wish I knew some of them constellations" she said.

"I know a few of them" he told her and moved in closer to her side.

She followed his finger up, doing her best to ignore his nearness.

"Those three bright stars in a row right there" he drew a little line in the sky

"Do you see them?" he asked.

She shook her head yes.

"That's Orion's Belt" he told her.

"Where's the rest of his outfit?" she asked with a grin.

He smiled and shook his head at her. After he pointed out the other stars that made up Orion, she pestered him into sitting in the grass and showing her as many as he could remember. He hadn't been lying, there weren't many and the conversation drifted quickly to other things.

"Did you know that no one has ever died from a comet falling out of the sky?" she asked him, still staring up.

"I did not know that." He said.

"Really? I thought you might know everything."

He laughed "What would make you think that?"

"A century is a long time" she replied simply.

"Stefan is the learned one in our family."

"And what are you?" she asked.

"A _very_ cocky vampire" he said with his sly little grin.

It was her turn to shake her head and smile at him.

"I think there's more to you than that."

He didn't say anything for a minute.

"So how did _you _know that no one has ever died from a comet?" he asked.

She shrugged "My uncle must've told me."

Thinking about her uncle was painful. He must be frantic by now. She wondered if he was looking for her or if he thought she was dead.

"Grayson never struck me as a guy who would be into comets and stars." He commented.

"He's not. I think it was in one of my lesson videos"

"Lesson videos?" he looked at her puzzled.

"He's been homeschooling me since I was ten" she told him.

"Oh" he had a strange look on his face "you must be two peas in a pod"

Elena could tell he was fishing for information but she couldn't imagine why he'd want to know about her uncle.

"I guess so."

"I just can't understand why he wouldn't tell you about all the things that go bump in the night. He never told you any scary bedtime stories?"

"Nope. Maybe he thought I couldn't handle it."

"Like you're some fragile little flower? It's pretty clear you're capable of taking care of yourself."

_He thinks I'm strong? _She thought, pleased. The compliment had the color rising to her cheeks and she hoped he couldn't see it through the darkness.

"I don't know. I wish I did" she said sadly.

It hurt to think that her uncle either didn't trust her or thought she wasn't tough enough to deal with sat quietly for a while, listening to the crickets and the breeze moving through the forest. She was disappointed when he caught her yawning and insisted they go inside. She hadn't realized how tired she was until they started walking. Her legs were barely carrying her when they were swept out from under her. He had picked her up like a baby and she was so sleepy she couldn't even bring herself to demand he put her down. Instead, she curled her head into his shoulder and closed her eyes.

**A**s gently as possible, he laid her down on the bed. He pulled off her shoes and, despite the temptation, he left everything else on. She'd whimpered when he tried to take off the jacket so he left that on her too. He brushed the back of his hand gently over her cheek and peered down at her. Her face had preoccupied his brain since the moment he'd seen her. It was the face of a woman he'd loved over a century ago and yet anyone who spent five minutes with Elena would know she wasn't Katherine. Elena was kind and strong and intelligent. Katherine had certainly been brilliant in her own right, but her intelligence had been dark and vindictive.

Damon wished he could deny it but he knew he was starting to fall for Elena and he didn't seem to be able to stop it. How could you not fall for a person who managed to make a friend while she was being held hostage? She was spunky and bright and he found it had a powerful effect on him. The humanity he'd been keeping at bay for years was slowly making its way into his heart and mind. Remorse, heartbreak, and grief threatened to make their way to the surface and it seemed like the harder he fought them, the stronger the feelings got. There was something else there too, though. He'd done his damndest to ignore it, to pretend he was perfectly happy being the big bad vampire but the effort was turning out to be hopeless. Whether he wanted to admit or not, he was _happy _when he was with her and the last two days without her had been torture. Watching Elena for a few more moments, he marveled at how attached he'd become in such a short time. Of course, he'd watched her before he'd grabbed her. The first time he'd seen her through her kitchen window, he'd nearly choked on his disbelief. Bonnie had explained that the doppelganger would look like Katherine but he hadn't expected her to be an exact copy. The shock wore off after a couple of hours and he spent four days making sure the routine was the same every day. Grayson, the idiot, had built what he clearly thought was a fortress around his precious niece. But the predatory instincts that vampirism afforded him never failed and when he knew her habits, it took Damon exactly five minutes to determine how and when he would take her.

Some predator he was now, standing over his prey and realizing the absolute last thing in the world he wanted was her death.


	5. Chapter 5

**I am going to try my very hardest to post a chapter a week from now on. I've got at least another two chapters but they're pretty raw still and they'll probably turn into three or four. Hope you all continue to enjoy the story! Thank you so much for reading it! :)  
xoxo**

**Chapter 5**

**S**he smelled bacon and smiled sleepily. Someone was making breakfast. She rolled over and frowned at the clock on the nightstand. Someone was making breakfast at 7am. Caroline had been letting her sleep in until 9 or 10 and she'd been enjoying the reprieve from her uncle's sunrise wake-up calls. She sighed and pried herself out from under the covers. Then she remembered the door and its hateful deadlock. _Crap _she thought. She made her way to the bathroom and considered shouting for Caroline. She was pretty sure super hearing was in the vampire book of tricks. After she was finished showering and dressing, she stood at the door and just as she was about to yell there was a knock.

"Elena?" it was Damon's velvety voice on the other side of the door and she felt her heart skip a beat.

"I'm up." she said and took a step back.

The door creaked open and he stepped inside.

"Good morning, Sunshine" his voice was chipper and he smiled at her.

She felt herself relax at his sunny attitude and smiled back.

"Good morning."

"Do you want some breakfast?" he asked

"You're going to make me fat." She said with a laugh

"So is that a no?"

"No." She said, the smile creeping back over her face.

"Good" he said and turned to go down stairs.

She caught up and walked with him down to the kitchen, taking her regular seat at the island.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked her. She beamed at his back while he put their plates together. Was the big bad vampire trying to make small talk?

"Yes. Thank you" she replied.

There was a moment of awkward silence so she asked him "Did you?"

He gave her a puzzled look.

"Did I what?" he asked, setting a plate of French toast, bacon, and scrambled eggs in front of her. It smelled amazing and the thought crossed her mind that she would miss eating with him when this was all over.

"Sleep well?" she asked, staring down at the powdered sugar and maple syrup that were covering the French toast. _Calories don't count when you're kidnapped _she thought and bit into a piece of bacon.

"Oh" he gave a bitter laughed "I didn't sleep."

"Do you ever sleep?" she asked.

"Sometimes" he replied.

Brusquely, he changed the subject to music. As it happened, he was pretty good at small talk. They ate slowly, chatting about all their likes and dislikes. As far as she could tell, he'd heard every song, read every book, and watched every movie known to man. He'd also been to every country on the planet and she pressed him for details. The most exciting thing that had ever happened to her was being kidnapped by a vampire and even then she was reasonably sure they were still in America.

"Do you speak any other languages?" she asked

"A few" he replied coyly.

"How many?" she demanded.

"Six" he said casually.

"Wow" she said, impressed "I thought you said Stefan was the smart one"

"He is. I think he's got three masters degrees and a PhD."

"But you know everything about culture!" she exclaimed "You're an expert in anthropology."

"I suppose that's true. I never really thought of it that way."

She could tell he wasn't used to compliments and when he gave her his lopsided grin, it lacked the cocky disguise he normally wore. It was open, sincere, and a little stunned. She felt her heart melt a little and once again she found herself smiling back at him.

"You have to teach me to cook. This is so good! I'm going to have to go for a run or something today though" she knew she was babbling but the look on his face was so adorable and she had to battle the unexpected desire to kiss him.

"Do you exercise with your uncle?" he asked carefully, the mask slipping back over his face.

"Yes" she replied and a wave of sadness overcame her. She imagined Uncle Grayson all alone in their house, going through their routines without her, wondering where she was and what had happened to her.

"Elena?" his voice brought her attention back to him.

"I'm sorry. What?"

"What did you guys do?" he asked.

"For exercise?" she asked but didn't wait for an answer "Mostly self-defense, some regular cardio and weight training."

"Self-defense?" he sounded surprised.

"Uh-huh. Hand-to-hand, weapons, that kind of thing" she said and finished her last piece of French toast.

"Trying to prepare you for a situation like this I imagine" he mused to himself

"So why haven't you tried to kill me?"

His blue eyes peered into hers earnestly.

"I think you'd kill me first." She said.

"You'd be right" he said, his voice low and serious.

She dropped her eyes back to her plate

"Caroline is with Klaus today." He told her.

She was grateful for the change in subject but now she had no idea what to do with herself today.

"Oh." She said and it occurred to her she was actually going to miss Caroline's constant bubbly chatter.

"Is there somewhere I could work out?" she asked him.

He gave her a long look before he spoke again.

"If I promise not to cheat with my vampire super powers, would you spar with me?" he asked.

**T**he astonishment on her face was evident. It didn't surprise him but he couldn't stop himself from asking. The girl had spunk and he wanted to see what she could do.

"You promise not to hurt me?" she asked.

"Pinky promise" He gave her his best 'trust me' look and watched her chew on her lower lip for a moment.

"Ok" she said finally.

"Good" he said, pleased. He stood and took her plate "Go change and meet me in the backyard in 20 minutes."

"But the door…"

He held up a hand to stop her "Will be unlocked."

She was chewing on her lip again. It was distracting and it took him a moment to realize what she was probably thinking.

"I'd catch you" he told her

"What?" her attention snapped back to him.

"You were thinking about trying to take off" he said matter-of-factly.

"No. No I really wasn't" she said quickly "I'm just…I'm nervous ok? You make me nervous"

He wasn't expecting that.

"I said I wouldn't hurt you, Elena."

"I know but you're so fast. Like _really _fast. I always thought I was pretty good. I've been able to take Uncle Grayson for a few years now but I'm pretty sure I can't take you on and it's kind of embarrassing and it makes me edgy." she blurted out and dragged her fingers through her hair.

He couldn't stop the wide smile that spread over his face. Any other person would have been terrified to go up against a vampire but she was embarrassed she couldn't take him. The girl was fearless.

"And now you're laughing at me" she said sounding dejected.

"No." He said and came around to stand in front of where she was sitting. She tilted her face up to his with a raised eyebrow and gave him a look.

"Ok maybe a little" he admitted "but you're cute when you're nervous."

Her cheeks flushed red. Damn he loved making her blush, loved the way the blood rushed to her face, and the way her heart beat sped up just a fraction.

"Thanks. I feel so much better now." She said sarcastically.

"Look, I'll do my best to fight as…. humanly as possible. Ok?" it was the best he could offer "Now go change and meet me outside."

"Alright, alright" she agreed grudgingly and got up to go to her room.

**S**he'd lost her mind, she was sure of it. There was no other explanation for agreeing to fight a vampire. And yet she found herself changing into a pair of leggings and pulling her hair into a pony tail. She was still pondering the insanity of it when she tied her sneakers and headed out the door. By the time she got to the back door she'd almost talked herself out of it. She would fake a headache or something. Then she opened the door and he was standing directly in front of her with his arms crossed over his chest, dressed head to toe in black. The jeans looked like they were made especially for his body, riding low on his hips and hugging him in all the right places. His shirt was like a second skin, accentuating each and every perfectly sculpted muscle.

"Ready?" his voice was honeyed and he wiggled his eyebrows at her. He looked positively lethal but when her mouth went dry, she knew it wasn't dread. Heat coiled in her belly and she knew she had to go through with this or she'd never forgive her. Grayson Gilbert did not raise her to run away because some guy set her nerves on edge_. _Ok maybe he wasn't just _some guy _but she'd never been a coward and she wasn't going to start being one now.

"Yep, let's do this" She said, hoping her voice sounded more confident than she actually felt.

He took a step back and held his arm out for her to go first. Elena crossed the stone porch and made her way to the grass with Damon on her heels. The moment they were facing each other she decided to surprise him with a kick to the kidneys. The ploy worked and he grabbed his side with an _oomph_. He recovered too quickly for her human reflexes. She tried to punch him but he blocked her and knocked her back hard enough to make her stumble. It should have scared her but it made her mad. She launched herself at him with everything she had. He wasn't anticipating the attack and he tumbled backwards with her on top of him. She sat up with her fist raised, ready to try for the punch again, but before she could make another move her back was on the grass. He was sitting on her legs and had her wrists pinned on either side of her head.

"You promised you wouldn't cheat!" she pouted. She tried to wrestle away from him but he was like a brick wall on top of her.

"I didn't." He said.

"Did too" She insisted.

"I swear to you, I did not use vampire powers."

"Really?" her voice sounded pathetic, even to her own ears.

"Really"

It dawned on her that she was completely vulnerable beneath him. His fingers were locked around her wrists and his lean frame were pressing into her body. He had her legs trapped between his and he was looking at her curiously. She'd never felt so helpless and she started struggling again.

"So was this just a lesson to show me how strong you are? To make sure I know I can't leave or beat you?" she demanded.

His face hardened and he rolled off of her to lie on his back.

"No, Elena. It wasn't."

"Then why?" she asked "You knew I could never beat you."

"You're feisty. I wanted to see what you had."

"And?" she asked, hating herself for being interested.

"You impress me yet again, Warrior Princess."

She turned onto her side to face him.

"Again?" she asked.

"Yes again. You've handled this whole thing with, for lack of a better word, dignity. You're not freaking out. In fact you're probably the most level headed human being I've ever met. You haven't even screamed or tried to run away. That's pretty impressive."

She shrugged. "You're not so scary" She told him with a little smile.

He rolled onto his side, propping himself up on his elbow to face her, and she watched wide eyed as his face changed. It felt like slow motion as the veins rippled under his skin and the blood made its way to the whites of his eyes, turning them an awful red. His lips curled up into a dark smile as his fangs dropped.

A lump gathered in her throat and she confessed "Ok maybe a little scary."

Still, it was mesmerizing to watch. Impulsively, she reached out to lightly touch his cheek. She felt the veins move under her fingers for just a moment before they disappeared and his expression softened.

She pulled back slowly "Sorry" she said.

He caught her hand and turned it over in his, rubbing her palm with his thumb.

"I'm glad you're not afraid of me" he said seriously.

**H**e dropped her hand reluctantly.

"So what do you want to do with the rest of the day? Wanna go another round?" he asked her.

"I think I've had enough for today. Do you have any books I could read?"

He laughed "Follow me."

She hopped to her feet and walked with him back into the house. She was thrilled with the library and for a moment he thought she might actually hug him. He was almost as glad to see the disappointment on her face when he went to the door as he was to see the delight in her eyes as she roamed the shelves.

"You're not staying?" she asked.

"I have some business to attend to. I'll be right back." He told her.

"I can read anything?" she asked him.

"Anything you want." He annunciated each word and smiled at her.

"Thank you." She said sounding practically giddy.

He inclined his head at her and ducked out of the room. He'd been dreading this call all day. Other than the lock on her door and the very thick windows in her room, he'd tried to make sure she didn't feel like a hostage. He'd been prepared to throw her in the cell in the basement if need be but she wasn't a shrieking teenager and he was glad it hadn't been necessary. What he had to do now made him feel like her kidnapper for the first time.

He made his way to his room upstairs and closed the door. The number he'd recently acquired from Klaus was displayed across the screen of the burner phone. After several minutes of debate with himself, he finally hit the green 'Call' button and paced as the phone rang.

"Hello?" said the voice on the other end.

"Grayson Gilbert, it's been a while. About eight years, I think?" he poured as much hate as he could muster into his voice. It had been such a good day. He'd thought about putting this call off but he needed the damn stake and he knew Grayson had it.

"Damon Salvatore." Grayson's voice was bitter and the sound brought back all the disgust he felt towards the Gilbert family.

"Ahh you always did have a good memory" he sneered. "Do you remember the stake your psychotic brother used to murder Stefan?"

There was a long pause.

"Grayson? Did you hear what I said?" Damon asked.

"Yes…" he replied slowly.

"I want it." Damon said forcefully

"What do you want with it?"

"That's for me to know and for you to…. Well you get the picture."

"And what makes you think I'm just going to hand it over to you?"

This was the part he'd been dreading.

"She's about 5'6", brunette, big brown doe eyes, and the softest looking skin I've seen in a 100 years."

His mind wandered back to the girl sitting in his library, reading his books, while he negotiated with her life.

"You're lying. She's already dead" Grayson hissed.

"No, but she easily could be."

"Let me talk to her" Damon could almost smell the other man's desperation through the phone.

"Not going to happen. Give me the stake and I'll return her in exactly the same condition she was in when I took her. Argue with me about it and I make no promises"

"I want proof she's alive"

"You're arguing with me" He warned.

"Fuck you vampire. I don't believe you have her."

Damon was enraged. _Fine, he wants proof. I'll give him his goddamn proof. _

"Just remember you asked for it" He said ominously and went to hang up the phone.

"Wait…" he heard Grayson cry out too late. A second later he crushed the phone in his hand.

**S**he started when he burst back into the room. When she turned to him, the look on his face scared her.

"Damon, are you ok?" she asked cautiously.

"No." He said.

"What's going on?" she couldn't help the nervous tremor in her voice.

"Get up." His voice was devoid of emotion and his vivid blue eyes were empty. The Damon from this morning was gone, replaced by this _thing _that frightened her down to her bones.

She rose slowly and put down first edition copy of _Pride and Prejudice _she'd been reading for the hundredth time_._

"Your uncle wants proof." He was moving toward her

"Proof?" she was confused. "Wait, you talked to my uncle?"

"Yes and he wants to be sure I haven't killed you."

She shrank away from him. For a second, she thought about running but there was nowhere to go and she knew he would catch her before she ever got close to the door.

"I'm not going to hurt you."

Then in a flash he was behind her, one arm wrapped firmly around her waist. Then his fingers slowly moved the hair off of her neck.

"What are you doing?" she said frantically. When she felt his cool breath on her neck she started to struggle in earnest, throwing her elbows back and kicking at his legs.

"Damon please stop, please don't" she begged him.

"It won't even hurt for a second." He promised and held her tighter.

She continued to struggle against his hold but his arm was like a vice-grip across her middle.

"Why are you doing this? Please just stop and tell me what's going on."

"Elena, stop moving." She heard the unspoken threat but she shoved at the arm that was pulling her back into him anyway.

"Don't make me compel you." He said quietly in her ear.

She stopped and sagged into him, defeated. He was right, she barely felt the prick of his fangs in her neck before she was drowning in another feeling entirely. Heat pooled in her stomach and despite her best efforts, a tiny moan escaped her lips. Stars danced in front of her eyes and her legs felt like jelly as desire coursed through her veins. If he hadn't been holding her up, she would have puddled at his feet. She felt him pull away from her neck and blood trickled down her collarbone. She instantly missed the contact and shame came over her in a rush.

**H**e dragged his mouth away from her neck, barely controlling the demon that wanted nothing more than to tear her artery wide open. He whipped another cell phone from his pocket and stood in front of her so he could snap the picture. It was the money shot he'd been going for, her face was shocked and the two shallow puncture wounds on her neck were still dripping.

Thin lines of blood trickled down her clavicle, teasing the monster in him. It had taken everything he had to stop himself from draining her dry. Her blood was like pure ambrosia and the sound she'd made in her throat had nearly been his undoing. He sent the photo to her uncle and quickly stuffed the phone back in his pocket. She was coming out of her stupor and her eyes settled on his. The hurt on her face crushed him and he realized he'd made a terrible mistake.

"Elena" he said, reaching for her.

She pulled her hand back and slapped him across the face. He snarled at her but she drew her hand back again. He caught it mid swing and yanked her forward so her body was flush with his.

"Don't do that again" he warned her. He let go of her arm and she backed away from him.

"Why would you do that to me?" she sounded furious.

"Because your uncle needs to know I'm serious" guilt was not something he let himself feel and he tried to shove the emotions away.

"You could have told me! I told you I would help you!" she shouted angrily.

"I didn't think you'd agree to that."

"I meant what I said, Damon. I told you I would help you, whatever it takes"

It hit him full force that she was telling the truth, she would have helped him and he'd treated her like a happy meal. _Shit_ he thought. He sunk his fangs into his wrist and held it out to her.

"Here" he said.

She recoiled but he pulled her closer.

"It will heal the wound. Drink." He pressed his wrist to her lips and forced a few drops into her mouth. The holes on her neck disappeared a second later.

"There, much better." He told her.

Her hand flew to her neck to where the wound had been.

"Can I go now?" she asked, deadpan.

"Sure"

She shot him another angry look before rushing out of the room. He listened to her stomp up the stairs and slam the bedroom door. He raced up the stairs after her and heard her crying softly. Sliding the deadbolt into place, her pressed his forehead against the door and listened to her for another minute before he slipped away.

He felt the phone vibrate and pulled it out of his pocket.

"Five minutes? You saw that picture and it took you a whole five minutes to decide to call me back? I'm disappointed in you Grayson."

"I'll do whatever you want. Please, just don't hurt her." His voice was tired but Damon could hear the rage just under the surface.

"Give me what I want and I won't touch a hair on her pretty head."

Damon heard him sigh on the other end.

"How are we going to do this?" he ask, resigned.

"In two days you'll meet with a friend of mine. You'll give him the stake and the next day, I'll deliver Elena to your doorstep completely unharmed. " Damon rattled off a time and place.

"No, I'm ready now. I can be there in one hour and I want Elena when I give you the stake." he sounded frantic.

"I said two days and you'll get her back the day after that. This is not a negotiation." With that, he hung up the phone.

**G**rayson picked up a vase and threw it across the room. It hit the wall with a satisfying _smash. _He had to get her back but other than giving the vampire what he wanted, he could see no way of retrieving her. He didn't even know where the monster was keeping her. It would be fair to assume they were at the Salvatore mansion but John had never shared its location with his brother and it was very well hidden. The picture of his niece with blood dripping down her neck was driving him out of his mind. Up until this morning, he'd assumed she was dead. The thought of her trapped somewhere with that _thing _was almost worse than imagining her lifeless body drained of blood and discarded like trash. This was his chance to find the bodies of his brother and sister-in-law, to avenge them. If the creature hadn't burned them after they died…The thought brought on a whole new wave of despair.

He'd let go of the notion of ever laying his brother and Isobel to rest a long time ago. They'd died in the Salvatore mansion but he knew little else about what had actually happened. John had turned up on his doorstep after Isobel went missing with a doe eyed little girl peeking out from behind his leg. He'd all but shoved the girl into Grayson's arms, telling him he couldn't take care of her anymore. John's obsession with finding his wife had used up all his energy and Grayson could see he'd been killing vampires with the stake. His normally well-kept appearance was disheveled, his clothes were filthy, and he appeared to have not showered or shaved in days. Grayson told John he would keep her keep her safe until he came back for her. John had nodded absentmindedly before he turned to leave.

Elena had cried like a banshee when her father handed her to her uncle and walked away. Grayson could still hear her screaming for her daddy to come back. Three weeks later an unsigned letter had come in the mail along with the stake and John and Isobel's wedding rings. The handwriting looked like a teenage girl's and it explained that Elena's parents had killed one another and the author of the letter was very sorry for his loss. For months he hadn't believed it. He was sure his brother would come back. John would never just leave his family behind. After a year he'd accepted that his brother and his sister-in-law were dead but he refused to even consider that John and Isobel had killed each other. He knew the vampires had killed them both. Only the desire to keep Elena safe and happy had overcome his desire for revenge. He'd done his best to leave the past behind, to ensure his niece had a future, a future that did not involve vampires.

Now they had Elena and he had to get her back, or die trying.


	6. Chapter 6

**Look at me posting on a Monday before 11pm! I had a hard time with this one and I'm honestly a little nervous posting it. Hope you like it and as always, thank you so much for reading the story! **

**xoxo**

**Chapter 6**

**D**amon felt like an asshole. It had been a long time since he'd felt this horrible about something he'd done and it was making him miserable. He had to make it up to her somehow.

_What are you going to do? Buy her flowers? You're bit her, you dick. _His brother's voice rang in his ears. Somehow over the years, his conscience had taken on the persona of Stefan the Hero Vampire. This also made him miserable and most days he could shut it out but there was no turning it off today. He felt like killing something but unfortunately there was nothing in this house to kill and damned if he was going to leave her here alone. Instead he grabbed a few blood bags from the basement and washed them down with good bourbon. He made his way back to the kitchen. If he couldn't kill someone then he was going to cook.

He was in the middle of chopping an onion into tiny bits when he heard Klaus' car pull up. He groaned unhappily. Caroline was going to kill him. He felt Klaus's presence behind him a minute later.

"You've done something that's going to piss her off, haven't you?"

**T**here was a quiet knock at the door.

"Go away" Elena muttered and pulled the blanket over her head. _Does he actually think I'm going to speak to him? _She thought. The tears had been short lived and had quickly turned into anger and then to confusion. At first she was just livid that he'd bitten her and then she remembered the way it felt. There had been no pain, only heat and need that made her flush every time she thought about it.

"Elena it's Caroline. Can I come in?"

She let out a sigh of relief, she'd been afraid she was going to be stuck in the house alone with him all night and she was starving. Maybe Caroline would know why the bite felt the way it did.

"Yeah, come in."

Caroline was beside her on the bed in the next second.

"Your eyes are all puffy. Were you crying? What happened? What did he do?"

"He _bit _me, Caroline. He actually _bit me! _I really thought we were starting to trust each other. And then when it happened I felt…."Caroline cut her off before she could get the question out.

"He did what!? Let me see." She pushed Elena's hair to the side to inspect her throat.

"It's gone. He made me take some of his blood" Elena told her.

"Of course he did. God he's such an idiot!" She said under her breath.

She gave Elena a quick hug "I'm going to get us some food and possibly some wine and then we're going to have the weirdest slumber party ever. Ok?"

Elena smiled "Ok."

"**F**uck." Damon cursed as he heard Caroline's quick footsteps coming down the stairs.

"Fuck indeed my friend." Klaus replied with a smile and continued to sip his bourbon.

"Seriously, Damon? Did you seriously _bite _her? I knew you were an ass but I never thought you were stupid. What the hell were you thinking?" the small blonde creature shrieked at him as she made her way over to where he was dicing up cheese.

"I called Grayson Gilbert and he pissed me off."

"So you bit Elena?!"

"Last I checked I was still a vampire who feeds on human blood" he was deflecting and he knew it.

"Could you stop being such an inconsiderate prick for one minute and admit that you _like _her?"

"I don't like anyone" he retorted.

"Oh my God, you are such a liar Damon Salvatore" She snapped at him with her arms folded across her chest.

"Excuse me?" he spun around to face her with the knife still clenched in his fist.

Klaus was suddenly between them "Now, now children play nicely."

Damon backed off and gulped down his glass of bourbon. His friend gripped his shoulder, his normally amused expression turned serious.

"Listen mate, I'm hardly one to be dolling out advice on romance. I'm lucky this one puts up with me at all." Klaus inclined his head toward his pretty blonde mate. "But I've known you a long time and Caroline is right. You fancy her."

Damon knew they were right. She was beautiful, smart, feisty, and he'd been dreading letting her go since that first night.

"Fuck." He said again.

The secret smile returned to Klaus' lips and he repeated "Fuck indeed my friend."

Damon turned back to Caroline. "Is she ok?" his eyebrows knitted together in concern.

"No but she will be."

He nodded "How do I fix it?"

"I'm going to help you and you're going to owe me so big. Like walk-in-closet big" she told him.

"Done. What do I need to do?" he asked.

"Really?" she asked, clearly surprised by his cooperation.

He did his best to keep the agitation out of his voice "Yes really."

"Give me that food and a couple bottles of wine and leave her alone until I say." She said.

He opened his mouth to tell her to go to hell but he bit his tongue and did what she told him.

"This had better work, Blondie."

"It will" she grabbed the basket of food and two bottles of wine.

Grumbling he turned back to his tumbler and frowned. It was empty. Klaus appeared next to him and refilled the glass.

"You know as well as I do, if anyone can bring Elena 'round its Caroline. Let's you and I drink until you forget what a fool you are. "

**E**lena waited impatiently for Caroline to return. She had to know what was wrong with her. What kind of person enjoyed being bitten and drained of blood? The door finally opened and Caroline appeared with a reassuring smile.

"I got wine!" she said happily. "Also some cheese and bread but mostly wine."

They sat on the floor, leaned against the bedframe, and listened to an iPod on a mini-Bluetooth speaker.

"So what did you and Klaus do today?" she nudged at Caroline.

Her cheeks turned pink and she grinned at Elena.

"He's used to having me all to himself." She replied coyly.

Elena pressed her for details, confessing her pathetic lack of experience in that department.

"So are you a…" Caroline asked

"No!" she said, probably a little too defensively "There was this guy Matt, he used to deliver our paper. He'd lived across the street pretty much my whole life and we dated for a while last year. I don't think Uncle Grayson liked it but I don't really have friends so I think he felt sorry for me. Anyway, we were alone at his house and one thing led to another. We only did it a couple of times"

She'd never told anyone that and it felt so good to have a friend she could tell her secrets to.

"What happened to him?" Caroline asked  
"He moved away almost a year ago." it was strange to think about Matt. He was so far away from all this. He seemed like an oddly normal experience in her very abnormal life.

She poured another glass of wine and picked at what was left of the chicken.

"God does everything he makes have to be so good?" she asked.

"I know right?"

Elena stared at her wine for a minute

"What?" Caroline asked

"Nothing" she said and took a sip from the glass.

"Come on. You can tell me."

"What if it didn't hurt?" she asked and peeked at Caroline out of the corner of her eye.

"What if what didn't hurt?" she replied with a tipsy giggle

"When he bit me" Elena said quietly.

"Oh" Caroline seemed surprised "We can make it so it doesn't hurt if we want to."

"What if…what if it kind of felt good?" even with the wine, it was a hard question for her to ask.

"I mean, he could do that if he wanted to I guess. You'd have to ask him if he did something but some people are just into it. It's not that weird."

"I'm never speaking to him again." Elena scoffed but she felt better hearing Caroline say she wasn't crazy. Maybe he'd done something to her. That had to be it.

"He knows he screwed up." Caroline took another long drink of wine and continued "I honestly can't believe I'm saying this, but I think you should give him another chance. Give him the opportunity to apologize and explain himself." She implored her.

"Are you seriously defending him? He could have killed me!"

"I know, I know and I feel like snapping his neck for it but he's really beating himself up over this. He puts on his 'I'm just an asshole vampire' face but I can tell he feels terrible. Trust me when I say Damon does not do sorry. He cares about you, Elena"

"He's got a funny way of showing it." Elena quipped.

Caroline pressed on "If he didn't feel something for you, what he did today definitely would not have felt good. I realize this is seriously messed up but please will you hear him out? For me?"

Elena gave her a wary look but in the end she caved "Yes, alright. I'll talk to him tomorrow ok? Can we talk about something else now, please?"

"Ok. Have you ever been to New Orleans?" Caroline asked her.  
She knew she could count on Caroline to never run out of things to say.

"Nope" she replied.

"Klaus has this incredible house there. Maybe you can come see it someday. It's so old and beautiful…"

Elena fell asleep on the floor to the sound of Caroline's voice. Her last thought before she drifted off was that she really didn't want to lose her newfound friend.

**T**he crystal shattered in his hand when he'd heard her confess she liked his bite. He'd taken the pain away but he hadn't done anything else which meant she had enjoyed it all on her own.

"Told you not to listen in" Klaus scolded him with a chuckle.

He hadn't been listening the entire time, just off and on every few minutes. He stopped eavesdropping after that and tried not to think about other things he could do that she would like even more.

Caroline found him still in the kitchen early the next morning. He head was buried in his arms on the table. Still half-drunk he only heard her approach when her shoes crunched over the broken tumbler.

"You broke another one?" she whined and he gave her a dark look.

"Never mind. Elena will talk to you when she wakes up. Might I suggest a shower and a couple hours of sleep?"

"Why are you being so nice to me?" he could hear himself slurring a little.

"Because your brother would want me to" she paused. "I might also kind of, sort of like you a little bit."

"Thanks, Blondie. I don't completely hate you either" he grinned at her.

"Yeah, yeah whatever. Go take a shower, get a couple hours sleep, and be _nice _to her."

He took the advice but she was still asleep when he emerged from his room. He opted to let her sleep a while longer and wandered the house alone, drink in hand, for a few minutes before settling at the baby-grand piano in the living room. It has been a long time since he played and soon he was plunking away at the keys. He'd been drowning himself in bourbon and music for an hour before he heard her light footsteps.

"Hey there sleepy head" He said as he heard her approach.

"My door was unlocked and I heard music" she said timidly.

"I unlocked the door."

"You did?" she asked bewildered.

"Yes. You aren't a prisoner here. If you don't want to help me anymore I understand" they were probably the hardest words he'd ever said. He'd spent a hundred years taking what he wanted and never looking back. Trusting her and giving her back her freedom hadn't been an easy thing for him but he knew it was the right thing to do if she was ever going to forgive him.

"What I did to you yesterday, it was wrong. Trust isn't something I do well but I should have trusted you when you said you'd help me. You've never been anything but kind to me and I'm so sorry I hurt you, Elena." He watched for her reaction. It felt like an eternity before she said anything.

"I told you that I would help you. After everything, I trusted you. How could you do that do me?" she asked. He thought for sure he she would yell at him, tell him she hated him, but he heard none of that in her tone. He heard the betrayal she felt, the pain, and it made him feel a hundred times worse.

"I know, I'm an idiot. I should have just told you what was happening. I swear I'll be honest with you from now on and I will never force you to do anything you don't want to ever again" he watched her, standing there in her shorts, t-shirt and bare feet, giving him that solemn look.

"I promised to help you and I'm not going back on that but you have to tell me what's happening. You say I'm not a prisoner here anymore? Then prove it to me."

He scooted down to the end of the piano bench and patted he seat beside him "Sit."

"Promise not to eat me?" her voice teased but he suspected she was only half kidding.

He gave her a reassuring smile "Promise."

_**H**__ow does he do that? _She wondered to herself. One look, one crooked smile, and she was already forgiving him. At first she thought she was angry because he'd bitten her, today she realized she was mad at him because he hasn't trusted her. She wasn't sure she would have agreed to being bitten but she would have figured it out with him. Maybe that made her crazy but she cared about him and she wanted him to care about her. She knew now that he wasn't evil, the world had just be cruel to him for the better part of a hundred years. He needed someone to be kind to him, to show him he was worth forgiving. She decided right then that she was going to be that person for him, no matter what happened. She plopped down next to him at the piano and ran her fingers over the keys.

"Do you play?" he asked her.

"Not well." Uncle Grayson bought her a little keyboard when she was twelve and she'd practiced for a few weeks before deciding she wasn't musically inclined.

He brushed her fingers away lightly and started playing a slow, sweet tune.

"That's pretty" she commented.

"You've never heard Brahms' Lullaby?" he asked as he played.

"No."  
"You never had a music box?" he sounded shocked. She shook her head 'no'.

He finished the song and launched into something a little darker, more intense.

"I like this too" she said.

He grinned "It's called _Caroline_. Klaus must've listened to this song a thousand times a day when he was pining away for her."

"Really? I guess I thought they'd be a 'love at first sight' couple."

"Klaus is…a special kind of vampire and his special-ness used to make him think he could do whatever he wanted. Caroline was probably the first creature in five hundred years to deny him anything. I'm not really sure who wore who down but he does his best not to kill people and she does her best not to guilt trip him to death when he does."

"Special how?" she was intrigued now,

Damon stopped playing "He's an Original vampire. He's one of the five first ever vampires and he's been around for over a thousand years. Not only is he very, very old, he's also a vampire-werewolf hybrid. Five hundred years ago he killed your ancestor, Katherine, to break a curse that kept his wolf side dormant and now he's pretty much un-killable."

"He killed Katherine?" she asked "Wait, a _thousand years?_"

"Yes and yes. She convinced a vampire to give her his blood before she was sacrificed and she came back vampire. And Klaus was born sometime in the 10th century. They weren't big on birthdays back then so he's not exactly sure how old he is."

"Wow." She said "So that's why he was so weird when he met? Because I look like her?"

He nodded and picked up playing again.

"What was she like?" she was trying to build up to asking about her uncle, afraid it might be a touchy subject to start out with.

"Beautiful, selfish, even unkind at times, but incredibly seductive."

"Am I…I mean…Do I really look just like her?"

"Stay here, I'll be back in a flash."

True to his word, he returned in seconds with a photo in his hand. It was old and that paper surrounding it was yellowed with age. He held it out for her to see. _Katherine Pierce, 1864 _was scrawled across the bottom.

"Oh my god." She breathed.

She took the photo and stared at it in disbelief. It was her face but it wasn't her.

"How is this possible?" she asked him.

"It's a long story. Something about keeping the balance in nature. I'll get Bonnie to explain it to you when she gets home. She should be back tomorrow by the way."

She handed the photo back to him and nodded absently before she realized what that meant. She could go home in two days. _How do I go back to my old life? _She wondered to herself.

"Does my uncle know all this?" she finally asked.

"Some of it. Not all."

"Does he know that I look like her?"

"Yes."

"Is that why he keeps me home all the time?"

"That…and I may or may not have found you when you were much younger and scared the shit out of him."

"Damon!" she pushed him playfully with her shoulder.

"I wasn't going to hurt you, I just wanted to see if it was true. There were rumors you were the doppelganger and I was curious. At the time it was just a passing resemblance"

"Well thanks for ruining my social life" she said with a smile.

"You're welcome" he replied.

She didn't want to stop the banter but it was eating at her. She had to know

"What did my uncle say? What's going to happen?"

He exhaled a long breath.

"Do you remember the stake I told you about? The one that drives the person using it insane? That's what happened to your dad after your mom turned. He took that god-forsaken thing and he killed Stefan with it. He's already killed at least three other vampires trying to find this place. We tried to destroy it after everything happened with your parents but the damn thing is indestructible. Caroline, in all her wisdom, didn't want it anywhere near us and she sent it back to Grayson. I almost killed her for it."

"Your witch can get Stefan's essence out of the stake and put it back into him, can't she?" she phrased it as a question but she knew she was right.

"Clever girl" he told her with a nod.

"And because I'm the doppelgänger, the spell needs my blood to bring him back."

"What do we have for her Johnny?" he winked at her.

"You're ransoming me for the stake aren't you?" the idea left a bad taste in her mouth.

He flinched at her words.

"Yes but…"

"Damon it's ok." She interrupted him "Actually, you know what? It's not ok but at least I get it now and that's all I really wanted. I just wanted you to be honest with me. I'm so sick of being lied to and up until yesterday I thought I could count on you to be honest with me"

"I know. I should have told you everything to you to begin with. You're stronger than you look and from now on I'll trust you to be able to handle whatever."

She nodded, feeling better about the whole situation. However strange up it was. Her tummy rumbled and she realized she was ravenous.

"Let's get lunch." he said before she could even form the words.

"You read my mind." She said and stood up.

"I read your stomach." He tapped his ear "Vampire hearing."

"You heard my stomach grumble?" his superpowers still astonished her.

"Go stand in the kitchen and tell me what you want for lunch. Better yet, whisper what you want." He told her confidently. She could see he felt like showing off and decided to oblige him. Rain was tapping on the window when she got to the kitchen. When she peeked out the window over the sink she could see it was going to be a gloomy, rainy day. She decided on grilled cheese with tomato soup and whispered it as quietly as she possibly could.

"How do you feel about provolone?" He was right behind her whispering in her ear.

She let out a tiny scream and jumped around to face him.

"Stop doing that!" she yelled.

"Never" he replied snarkily.

"You're going to give me a heart attack."

"I'm going to make you fat, I'm going to give you a heart attack. And here I thought being a vampire made me dangerous."

She giggled "Are going to make me lunch or what?"

"You're going to help me make you lunch this time."

"Why?"

"Because I said."

She rolled her eyes. "Ok Chef Damon. What do I do?"

**T**hat had actually gone a lot better than he'd thought it would. He got through the whole thing without making her cry. He was reasonably certain he'd even managed to make her feel better about everything. Before he'd been afraid she would try something stupid if he let her help in the kitchen but today he handed her the knife and walked away after he'd shown her the best way to slice. When he glanced back at her she was adorably focused on the task. She was a quick study and he now knew that when she learned something new, she wanted to do it right.

"Like this?" she'd asked him.

"No." he'd held her wrist lightly "hold your wrist like this and press back a little when you're slicing."

He was working on the tomatoes when he smelled the blood and flashed to her side. She already had her hand over the sink, hissing in pain.

"How bad is it?" he grabbed her arm and inspected the cut that had narrowly missed a tendon. Blood was pouring out of her hand "Shit, that's pretty bad."

"Ahh Damon it really hurts."

"I'll bet it does." He was surprised she wasn't crying like a baby. Then again, knowing her, maybe he wasn't. Either way, it probably hurt like hell.

He bit into his wrist and held it out to her. She opened her mouth to object but he beat her to the punch.

"It's this or stiches by Dr. Damon." He told her "Hurry up it's going to close and that doesn't exactly tickle."

With an exasperated sigh she took his wrist with her good hand and he closed his eyes as he felt her take a long pull from the wound on his wrist. She timidly licked it clean before his cut closed.

He turned her to face him, lifting her hand to show her the injury had disappeared.

"Thank you" she said, looking up at him with her lips slightly parted.

He was still holding her hand and he lifted it to his mouth, placing a soft kiss on the spot where she'd cut herself.

"Anytime" he told her with an intimate whisper. He knew he meant it, he'd given up, or maybe he'd given in. He didn't know which and it probably didn't matter. He was hers and he'd do anything to keep her safe. With her hand still in his, he brushed his lips over her knuckles. She opened her hand to cup his face with her palm and run her fingertips along his jaw.

He watched her pupils dilate, heard her heart start to thump louder, and felt her pulse race under his fingers. A man could only take so much and when she sucked her lower lip between her teeth, he lost it. He took hold of her hand again and took the tip of her forefinger into his mouth, biting down gently with his blunt teeth. He watched her face for some sign that she wanted him to stop, waited for her to pull away. Instead she moved closer to him and tipped her face toward his. That was all the prompting he needed. He tugged her to him and kissed her. The moment his lips touched hers, he only had one thought. _Mine. _


	7. Chapter 7

*****WARNING – Adult Content. Rated M**** ok so now that that's out of the way, here's chapter 7. I am soooo sorry I haven't updated in a while. I'm getting married in a coupe of weeks and I have no downtime. I really hope you guys like this chapter. I have never written anything like this before and I'm kind of crazy nervous about it….which may have also contributed to the delayed posting. Anyway, I'll stop rambling. Hope you enjoy! **

**Chapter 7**

**I**f there was some part of her that thought he would be sweet the way Matt had been, he crushed it with his mouth. And his hands. And his body pressing into hers. She was sinking inside his kiss, losing herself in the feel of tongue sweeping over hers. Damon's arms wound around her waist to pull her closer to him. She melted into his lean frame, loving the feel of his hard chest pressed against hers. He pulled away from the kiss so he could drag her shirt over her head, leaving her standing before him in nothing but the lacy black bra and her denim shorts. Damon's eyes darkened as they raked over her body, making the blood rush to her cheeks. Elena had never been so exposed in front of anyone and she immediately crossed her arms over her chest.

He grabbed her wrists and gently pushed her arms down to her sides. She gazed up at him, feeling utterly vulnerable.

"Don't ever hide from me. You're beautiful, Elena" the aqua pools of his eyes were working their magic on her again, leaving her spellbound and unable move. Keeping her trapped under spell of his crystal clear stare, Damon let go of her wrists and splayed his hands across her stomach. His cool touch moved slowly up her ribcage to her breasts. Cupping them in his hands, he ran his thumbs up and down the valley of her cleavage. His fingers danced their way up to her clavicle and pushed the straps down her shoulders. Reverently, he stroked her arms with his knuckles.

"So soft" he remarked under his breath.

Elena sighed contentedly at the soft caresses. Everywhere he touched left fiery trails across her skin and any embarrassment over standing half naked in his kitchen, disappeared. He slid his arms back around her waist and dipped his head down to pull her into another searing kiss. His tongue demanded entrance to her mouth and she gladly let him in. Damon groaned against her lips as her arms wrapped around his neck and her fingers dug into the hair on the back of his head. The grip he had on her waist grew tighter and a moment later she felt his hands under her ass as he lifted her onto the counter, swiping their forgotten lunch out of the way. Then he was standing between her legs, yanking her hips forward and crushing her against him. His hands felt like they were everywhere all at once and his mouth moved to her throat nipping his way up to her jaw and over to her earlobe.

Elena whimpered and clung to his shoulders for dear life. Her whole body was vibrating with desire, her skin tingled with the heat of his touch, and she couldn't control the tiny cries he elicited each time he found a new place to arouse and excite her. To her horror, he stilled his hands and put his mouth next to her ear.

"If you want to stop, you have to tell me now" He breathed and his hands started running lazily up and down the outsides of her thighs. He was giving her an out and she knew she should take it. What little sense she had left knew she should be running away as fast as she could.

"No." she muttered without thinking. Everything he was doing to her just felt _so _good. How could she tell him to stop?

"No, what?" he asked as his hands wandered closer to her center then back away again, tormenting her senses.

"Mmmmm" was all she could manage.

"I need to hear you say it" he told her. He'd started running his fingertips in circles at the small of her back, sending little tremors down her spine. She'd tell him anything he wanted as long as he kept touching her.

"No, I don't want you to stop"

He took her hand in his and placed it firmly over his groin. _Oh…_she didn't have a lot of firsthand knowledge but the growing warmth under her fingers did not, by any means, feel small.

"Are you sure?" he asked "I'm not the paper-boy, Elena."

She pulled her hand back

"You were listening?" she asked mortified.

He grinned salaciously at her "Only for a minute."

"Jerk" She mumbled.

"Mmm-hmmm" he agreed and nuzzled her neck before leaning back to look her in the eyes.

She'd never been so nervous in her whole life but she knew she wanted this. She wanted him. Cautiously she placed her palm back over the impressive bulge and slowly moved her hand up and down. His eyes fluttered closed before he dropped his head to rest on her shoulder.

Damon suddenly went rigid and stumbled backwards

"Ahhhhhh!" he screamed and grabbed the sides of his head "Goddamnit! Fuck!" He shouted and fell to the floor.

"Damon? What's wrong?" she leapt off the counter and knelt in front of him.

He collapsed backwards and fished in his pocket for his phone.

"A Bennett witch just died" he said and started dialing.

Putting the phone to his ear, he pulled himself to his feet and started to pace.

_**N**__o, no, no. This can't be happening. _The sound in his head could only be described as a screaming whistle and he'd only heard it a handful of times in the last hundred some years. His ears were still ringing when he finally he heard the click on the other end of the phone.

"Bonnie?" he said frantically.

"Damon…" the witch sobbed into the phone

"What the hell just happened? Are you ok?"

"Grams" she choked.

"What happened? Where are you?"

"I….I…I'm still on the island. She…I don't know, Damon. She told me to go find an herb in the garden and when I got back she was…." she started crying hysterically.

"How? Did something kill her?" he didn't understand, Bennett witches were notoriously difficult to kill and they lived exceptionally long lives. Shelia Bennett was 87 but the last time he saw her she didn't look a day over 40. The idea that something might have harmed her had anger bubbling in his stomach. He didn't like people messing with his witches

He heard more sniffling and crying on the other end.

"Bonnie, I know this is hard but I need you to calm down and talk to me. Listen to me, you're going to be ok, take a deep breath and tell me exactly what happened."

There was a pause and then he heard her take a shaky breath.

"She's been weird ever since we found out about Elena and the stake. I think she's taught me more spells in the last 48 hours than she has in my entire life. Then she started drinking this tea, she said it would help us but she kept getting weaker. I tried to tell her to stop but she said she knew what she was doing. Today she didn't even get out of bed and when I came back from the garden….she wasn't breathing and I couldn't bring her back. What do I do, Damon?" her voice cracked.

The anger subsided and was quickly replaced by sorrow. He suspected he knew what had happened. Shelia had passed her powers on to her granddaughter and let nature take its' course. Magic had kept the cancer at bay for years and without it, the witch he'd first met when she was just 16 was no more.

"Come home. Get on a plane and come home now" he didn't care if there was no actual threat. He wanted her back here where it was safe.  
"I can't just leave her here!"

"Call Caroline, she'll make the arrangements and then you go to the airport and get home. Understood?"

"Yes" she sounded a little calmer now.

"Bonnie?"

"Yeah?"  
"I'm sorry about your Grams."

"Thank you, Damon. I'll see you soon"

He heard her hang up and he turned to find Elena gaping at him.

**S**he had never seen him like that, so protective and commanding. For someone who claimed to do nothing but hurt people, he spent an awful lot of time protecting them.

"Is everything ok?" she asked.

"Bonnie's grandmother died" there was a sadness in his eyes that she'd never seen before and she wanted very badly to hug him. Instead she reached out and took his hand lightly in hers.

"You cared about her" it wasn't a question. She could see it written all over his face.

Damon shrugged and stared at the floor "I met her when she was a little younger than you and that was 70 years ago."

"That's a long time to be friends with someone."

"I don't know if I would call us friends. After her mother was killed, I had a house built a few miles into the woods for her and we've had a mutually beneficial relationship ever since. She was just a teenager when she moved in. Years later her daughter grew up there, and her daughter's daughter was raised in that house. It's just strange to think she doesn't live there anymore."

"It's ok to admit that you cared about her, Damon. It's just us and I promise not to tell anyone."

He looked up at her with a pained expression and she couldn't take it anymore. Elena stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him, forgetting that she was still topless. He was stiff at first but after a moment he gave in and returned the embrace, pulling her tight against him.

"I'm going to miss her" he whispered it so quietly she almost didn't hear him. Her heart was breaking for him but she couldn't think of anything to say so she rose up on to her tip toes and pressed a kiss to the side of his neck.

They stood there for a long time, just holding one another, not saying anything. Then she felt the tips of Damon's fingers stroking lightly up her back. Elena shuddered against him and rested her forehead against his shoulder as he continued his feather light caresses. She took long, deep breaths, inhaling his heady scent.

"You smell so good" she purred.

"Do I?" he asked, sounding amused.

"Mmmm-hmmm" she burrowed her nose into his chest, breathing him in.

"What do I smell like?"

She smiled against his chest "You smell like Damon."

He tilted his head back and tipped her chin up with his finger to look at him. His eyes were still sad but his lips were turned up in a sweet smile. Elena felt her body move all on its own and before she even knew what she was doing, her arms made their way up and around his neck so she could pull his head down to kiss him. She was pretty sure she'd only meant to give him a comforting peck on the lips. Then Damon took over and their tongues were tangled together in a fervent kiss. He walked them backwards until her backside was up against the counter.

"Now where were we?" he asked coyly and gripped her hips "Oh that's right. We were here." He lifted her up and set her back down on the counter. Picking up where he left off, he pulled her forward and stepped between her legs.

"And you were doing something with your hand…What was it?" his voice was teasing but his expression was undeniably devilish. She sensed that he needed this; to be here with her, to find comfort in their connection and forget that he'd just lost one of his oldest friends.

Feeding on his playful mood, she reached her hand down and put it back over the fly on his pants but didn't move it.

"This?" she asked sweetly

"Hmmm, close but I think there was some fondling involved."

Enjoying the little game, she squeezed gently at his growing erection and then let go.

"Like that?"

"It's dangerous to tease a vampire, Elena" he warned and the next second her bra was across the kitchen and she was naked from the waist up.

"You ripped it!" she cried

"Yep" he said shamelessly

"I liked that bra" she pouted

"I'll buy you another one" he growled before his hands covered the exposed flesh, testing their weight with his palms and brushing his thumbs over the dusky tips.

Elena moaned and leaned back to give him better access. One of his arms snaked around her back and he pulled her forward so he could replace his hands with his mouth. The sensation left her gasping for breath and clutching at his shoulders to keep her from falling off the counter.

"Oh god…" she sighed

Damon dragged his mouth away from her nipple to draw her up and cup her face, his expression imploring.

"If we go any further, there's no turning back. You know that right?" he was trying to warn her off again but it wasn't going to work.

"I know. I want this. I want _you_, Damon" she said. The words resonated in her mind _no turning back._ She didn't want to go back. Ever.

"Then wrap your legs around me and hold on tight" he commanded.

She did as he said and there was a blur of movement before she felt her back bounce on something soft. It was a bed. _His _bed and he was crawling up her body, pushing her legs apart as he made his way back to her mouth. She melted into his kiss while his hand slid under her body to pull her closer. She put her arms around his shoulders and cradled his hips between her legs. The kiss had started out gentle, his tongue slowly exploring her mouth. Then his lips became more demanding, his tongue pushed deeper, and she had to twist her head away to catch her breath. She could feel his now fully erect length pushing on her core through his pants and her body arched into him, needing to be as near to him as possible.

**D**id she know what she was doing to him? Her mouth yielding to him, her curvy little body wriggling under him, the smell of the blood rushing under her skin, it was all driving him wild. He let her breathe and pulled back to look at her. Her lips were swollen from his kisses and he could see the blood pulsing wildly through the vein in her neck. Keeping his weight off of her, he leaned down to run his nose up the column of her throat and inhaled the rich scent of the life-force coursing through her veins. It was a test of control. He needed to be sure he could do this without hurting her. Since he'd passed, he decided his reward was to rid her of the rest of her clothes. He reached between them with one hand, ripped her shorts down the middle, and discarded them in one swift movement. She let out a gasp and stared down at her now bare legs.

"They were in my way" he said.

He let his eyes wander over her, her olive skin glowed in the afternoon light, and the simple black lace panties made him harder than any lingerie ever had.

"Perfect" he whispered and leaned back to sit on his legs so he could get a better view. She tried to push her knees back together but his hand stopped her and pressed them back open.

"Stay just like that" he told her.

He came back between her legs and hovered over her, his hand running from her ankle to her hip. Her skin was so soft, he wanted to spend days touching and tasting every inch of her. Knowing this could be his only opportunity he took his time, his hands traveling up her long shapely legs, over the swell of her hips, and back to the tempting mounds on her chest. He couldn't seem to stay away from them, they fit so perfectly in his hands and he loved the tiny sounds she made when he used his tongue and teeth on her.

_**C**__ould a person go blind from need? _She wondered to herself. Her mind was blurry from his mouth paying equal attention to both breasts and when his blunt teeth bit down softly on her nipple, stars burst behind her eyes. It took her a moment to realize the stunned cry of pleasure had come from her lips. Then his lips were moving downward, placing kisses along her ribcage, her stomach, and stopped at the hem of her underwear. He hooked a finger in the waistband and inched them down her legs, leaving her completely naked before him. The way he was looking at her, like he was trying to memorize every inch of her skin, had her fighting the urge to cover herself up.

"Why am I naked and you're not?" she asked shakily.

"That, is an excellent question" he said and then he was above her again, his weight resting outstretched arms, looking down at her with dilated eyes.

"Why don't you help me?" his low, husky voice sent a tiny shiver down her spine.

She gingerly grabbed the hem of his shirt and pulled it over his head, revealing his flawless torso. He had the kind of body artist's dream of; lean hips, chiseled muscles, gleaming white skin, and a little trail of hair that started at his belly button and disappeared beneath his jeans. The tips of her fingers started there, running over the patch of hair and up to his abs. She laid her palms flat on his stomach and traced the lines of hard muscle up his chest and down his arms. The skin was cool, hard and once she started she couldn't stop touching him. Her hands traveled over the corded muscles of his shoulders and back. He stayed very still above her but she could hear his labored breath and he seemed absorbed in the movement of her hands, slivers of blue around black pupils following them wherever they went. Keeping her eyes on his face, she brought her fingers back to his front and slipped just the tips under the waistband of his jeans. He wasn't wearing underwear and when her hand dove a little deeper she brushed over the soft skin at the top of his erection.

His head dropped to her shoulder and he hummed in pleasure.

"Take them off 'Lena" he rasped.

**S**he was testing his limits. His entire being was screaming at him to take her. The responsiveness of her body was maddening, he could hardly wait to be inside her, to show her what real pleasure was. He gathered his restraint and held as still as possible while she explored his body, loving the sensation of her hands on his skin. He wanted her to enjoy this and want him as badly as he wanted her but when her long fingers reached inside his pants, he felt himself slipping. She cautiously unsnapped the top button and slowly pulled down his zipper. He couldn't hold still anymore, he had to get his hands on her. He reached between her parted thighs with one hand and gently ran his finger up and down her damp folds. She whimpered loudly and shoved his pants down his hips. He wriggled the rest of the way out of them with his free arm, leaving him naked. Adjusting his weight so he was propped up on his elbow lying next to her, he continued the deliberately slow motion with his index finger and pressed his thumb down on the little bundle of nerves at her apex. Watching her go wild under his hand made the agony of waiting to get inside her worth every second. Her eyes were squeezed shut, she was chewing fervently on her lower lip, her head was thrashing against the pillow, and her fingers had a death grip on his bedspread.

"Damon…" she breathed.

"Hmmm?" he murmured lazily, appreciating the sight of her unbelievably sexy figure writhing under his touch.

"I…I…need…." Her face scrunched up and her hips bucked upwards.

"What do you need?" he increased the pressure with his thumb and dipped just the tip of his finger inside her, then pulled it away to resume lightly stroking her.

She made a strangled noise and pushed her hips upward again.

He moved the finger away "Tell me what you need, baby."

"More….I need more…please" she whispered desperately.

"Look at me" he demanded and moved his hand back to her entrance.

Her eyes flew open and she turned her soft brown gaze to meet his deep blue stare. The moment her eyes met his, he pushed his finger all the way inside her and started rapidly moving his thumb against her bud. Her eyes rolled back as he started moving the lone digit in and out of her. When he added a second finger and pressed upward on _that _spot she started chanting his name.

He picked up the pace and leaned his head down next to hers.

"Come, come right now Elena"

**A **kaleidoscope of colors crashed into her vision at his words and she felt herself shatter in his hands. He purred encouragements in her ear as wave after wave of pleasure washed over her _that's it, good girl… let it come… you're so wet for me…. _His voice seemed to make everything more intense. Her legs were still shaking when she felt his weight on top of her again. Looking down at him for the first time a tiny quake of fear went through her. He was even bigger than he'd felt through his jeans.

"Is this going to hurt?" she asked seriously

"No" he said without a trace of doubt "it's going to feel really, really good."

He settled between her legs and she felt him nudging at her center. Pushing the fear away, she twined her arms about his neck and spread her thighs as far apart as she could. He reached between them and she felt him start to push inside her. The movement was excruciatingly slow at first but when her hips bowed up to meet his, he drove forward and filled her to the hilt with a groan.

"Jesus, you're tight" his voice was hoarse and he'd stopped moving entirely.

"Please…" she cried and wriggled underneath him. The feeling of having him buried inside her was amazing and all she could think was that she needed him to move _now. _

**F**eeling her walls adjust to him, he smiled down at her. She was absolute perfection and for the moment, she was all his. He pulled almost all the way out and thrust all the way back in. She arched against him with a deep moan and her full, heaving breasts pressed against his front created a wonderful friction. He repeated the motion and her legs quivered.

"Does that feel good?" he prompted and set a steady rhythm, plunging in and out of her while her slim body struggled to find the movements to match his.

"Yessss"

"Tell me. Tell me how it feels" he ran his hand down her thigh and lifted her leg to get deeper.

"It feels….full….deep…so deep inside me" she murmured.

"You feel so good, Elena. So snug and hot around me" he picked up his pace incrementally and her hips rose up, meeting him thrust for thrust. Her legs automatically went around his waist. She was grabbing at his shoulders and he could feel her nails digging half-moons into his skin. Grabbing her hips, he changed angles and started hitting the sweet spot at core over and over. She screamed in ecstasy and her hips starting bucking wildly against his. She was mumbling his name over and over until it gave way to incoherent cries and moans.

"Are you gonna come for me, 'Lena?" he purred.

"Yes, yes. Oh God yes. Damon, please…"

She was on the edge, all she needed was a little push from him and she'd go tumbling into oblivion.

"Open your eyes" he wanted to see her come undone

**T**here was just enough clarity in her brain to remember what she wanted to ask him before this was over. Meeting his eyes, she reached up and cupped his face.

"Wait, wait for one second" her voice was shaking and her body screamed in frustration when he slowed his thrusts.

"Are you ok?" his voice was shaking, too.

"Yes, I feel incredible but I want…I want you to…" she was annoyed at herself for being too embarrassed to say it but he read her mind. A moment later his face changed, the telltale veins moved under his skin and his eyes turned their eerie red.

"Is this what you want?" he asked and bared his razor sharp incisors at her.

"Yes" she said, enthralled by the transformation of his features. She wasn't sure what it said about her that she found him just as attractive like this as she did every other minute of the day but at the moment, she didn't care.

"I won't hurt you" he promised

"I trust you" she told him earnestly.

He turned his face in her hand and kissed her palm. Their bodies started moving in unison, slow again at first and quickly picking up speed. He brought her to the precipice once more and before she could beg him for release, he buried his face in her neck and she felt the pin-prick of his fangs sink into her skin. The entire world could have fallen to pieces right then and she would have never noticed. There was only him, moving fast and hard inside her, taking slow sips from the shallow wound in her neck. Spots danced in front of her eyes and she distantly heard herself calling his name.

**N**othing in his abnormally long life had ever felt like this. She had given herself over to him completely, entrusting him with her life and her body. He was lost in the feeling of her body enveloping his and the ambrosia of her blood flowing through him. The controlled thrusts turned to him pounding into her with bruising force, her cries spurring him on. At the last moment, he reared back to watch her as the orgasm took them both over the brink and he came inside her with a rumbling growl. Blood dripped from his chin onto her chest and he immediately bent his head to lick it off her skin, smearing more blood across her breasts and cleavage. Her chest covered in blood and her body trembling all over from her orgasm was the most erotic thing he'd ever seen. He couldn't recall wanting anything more than he wanted her. He wanted to keep her here with him forever. Just the thought of being without her was painful. How was he ever going to give her back? Deciding that he wanted to revel in the fact that she was naked in his bed, Damon rolled them so she could rest her head in the crook of his shoulder.

"Mmm, I'm so tired" she mumbled and snuggled closer to him.

He smoothed her hair with hand and kissed the top of her head.

"Sleep, baby" he told her.

"You won't leave me?" she asked sleepily.

"Never"


	8. Chapter 8

**I'm sorry I've been gone for so long! I got married (yay!) and then I got a nasty head cold (boo!). On the plus side, I was able to get several chapters done so I'll be posting the next couple VERY soon! Thank you for your patience and I really hope you like the chapter! Reviews are very much appreciated ****J**

**xoxo **

**Chapter 8**

**T**here was no clock in his room but it was dark when she came slowly back to consciousness. Elena couldn't remember ever having slept so well. Opening one eye, she peeked up at the man whose arms were firmly wrapped around her. She was still nestled on his chest with one leg thrown over his middle and he appeared to be sleeping. His eyes were closed and his breathing was steady and even. She doubted Damon would appreciate the sentiment, but he was adorable when he was asleep. He looked so peaceful and sweet. She tried very hard to stay still and not wake him.

"Hi" he said, his eyes still closed

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you"

"S'ok. We need to get up anyway. Bonnie and Caroline will be here soon."

"Can we stay here a little longer?" she pleaded. Their bodies seemed to fit perfectly together and she wasn't ready to move.

"Of course" her favorite little smile touched his lips and he finally opened his eyes to look down at her with an expression that melted her heart. No one had ever looked at her with such affection and joy.

"You are the most beautiful creature I have ever seen" he told her

She blushed "You're not so bad looking yourself"

His smile widened and his hand started running idly up and down her back.

"Mmm that feels nice" it was so soothing and she couldn't stop smiling.

His arms tightened around her for a moment and then let her go "Much as I'd love to keep you naked in my bed forever, we should get up. You might want to shower before everyone gets home"

She was about to ask why when she ran her fingers through her hair and felt something encrusted on a few of her brown locks.

"What is this?" she said trying to pull her fingers through it

"It's blood" he said "I got a little carried away.

She tucked her chin down to look at herself and saw that there were streaks of blood caked on her collarbone and chest.

"Is it weird that I don't want to wash it off?" she asked. _Oh God did I just say that out loud?_ She thought.

"Christ, Elena…" he said and untangled his limbs from hers "I'm going to get out of bed before I decide I don't care whether or not Bonnie and Caroline hear you screaming my name."

She flushed red again and pouted at him "Do we really have to get up?"

"Yes, we really have to get up" he didn't sound very happy about it either but he pushed himself up and stood naked next to the bed, giving her an excellent view of his toned backside. With a contented sigh, she marveled at the way the muscles in his shoulders rippled as he pulled the black t-shirt over his head.

"Come on lazy bones. Up and at 'em" he said and started pulling his pants back on.

"Do you ever wear underwear?" she asked, ignoring him.

He looked over his shoulder at her "Don't make me pick you up and throw you in the shower"

His tone was playful but she had no doubt he would literally throw her in the shower. She was almost tempted to stay put and let him do it, anything to get his hands on her again, but she scrambled out of bed and then realized he'd left a trail of her clothes from the kitchen to the bedroom.

"Um, I don't have any clothes"

"Do you usually shower with your clothes on?" he asked with a laugh

"No but the shower is in my room"

"You can use mine"

Elena took a good look around for the first time since entering the room this afternoon. Rich mahogany wood covered the floors and walls, what looked like an antique Persian rug rested under the massive four poster bed, and a huge stone fireplace was tucked into the back wall. It was opulent and beautiful like the rest of the house, but it felt warm and inviting.

"I like your room" she commented.

"Wait until you see the bathroom" he said, inclining his head toward the other section of the room.

She gave him a curious look and bounded off to see what he meant.

"Oh my god!" she yelled back to him "Damon, this is gorgeous!"

The whole bathroom was stone and marble with a gleaming white standalone tub and a fantastic glass walled shower. She went for the shower and turned the water to scalding hot.

"Glad you like it" she jumped at his voice right behind her.

She whirled around to find him giving her a burning stare. He leaned down and cupped her face, kissing her long and slow.

"I thought you said I had to take a shower" she said against his lips

"Mmm-hmm, that's why my hands aren't all over you" he reached around her and opened the shower door "I just wanted to see you naked in my shower."

She turned and stepped into the shower, feeling his eyes on her back. She tilted her head back to wet her hair. When she slicked the water from her hair, he was still watching her through the glass with molten eyes.

"You could join me if you want" she picked up a bar of soap and started running it over her body.

"Remember what I said about teasing vampires?" he said and licked his lips suggestively.

"That actually worked out pretty well for me the last time" she teased.

"Elena Gilbert, you are going to be the death of me."

"Aren't you technically already dead?"

He chuckled at her "Smartass. I'm going to leave some clothes on the bed for you. Come downstairs when you're ready."

"Ok, I'll be down soon"

Damon's eyes ran over her body once more and his brows furrowed when they got to her neck.  
"Come here for a second" he told her

She poked her head out and looked at him expectantly. He put his hand to his mouth and pricked his index finger with his fang and held it out to her.

"Just a tiny bit so Caroline and Bonnie don't think I've been snacking on you."

She didn't want the marks to disappear but she took the tip of his finger in her mouth and sucked lightly at the tiny wound before it closed. It was strange, this part of her that he'd awakened inside her, she didn't want to wash blood off her skin and she was upset that she didn't get to keep bite marks on her neck, but for the first time in her life she felt free, alive, and happy.

**G**iving her a quick peck on the lips, Damon reluctantly left the sight of her dripping figure and made his way downstairs. A recurring thought kept going through in his mind as he headed for the platter of decanters in the parlor– he couldn't let her leave, they belonged together. He was a selfish creature by nature and thinking about letting her go left an ache in the pit of his stomach. He knew he didn't deserve her. He was a killer, a monster. How could he make a girl as bright and beautiful as Elena happy? The answer was that he couldn't. Damon knew then what he had to do. He didn't like it, but he would do it.

"Hello? Anybody home?" he heard Caroline's voice from the entryway and sighed. It was the beginning of the end of his brief happiness.

"In here" he called

He heard footsteps approaching and opened a bottle of high end brandy he'd kept in the house for Shelia. He poured one for himself and another for the sad eyed witch who was now standing a few feet away.

"Hello, Damon" Bonnie stepped into the room and he heard Caroline tromp up the stairs toward Elena.

He gave her a half smile "Welcome home, Witchy" he said and held the drink out for her.

She returned the lopsided smile and accepted the tumbler. Taking a long sip, she peered at him over the rim of the glass.

"There's something different about you" she said, her wide greens eyes turned questioning.

He shrugged "I had a good day"

"It's her isn't it?"

_Damn she's good _he thought. He'd known early on that intuition was going to be this Bennett's gift. Bonnie had never been afraid of him the way her mother had been. Not once, not even with fangs bared, had she flinched in his presence and her quiet reserve had always had a calming effect on him.

"Are we friends?" he asked, dodging her question

She looked taken aback "Of course we are. You've known me my entire life."

It was true, he remembered the day her mother had come home from college pregnant, alone, and bitter that she had nowhere to go but back to the house she'd grown up in. Abby had never liked it here and she disappeared two years after Bonnie was born, leaving her with her grandmother and a house full of vampires. Unless she'd managed to break the blood bond, Damon was reasonably certain Abby was still alive but the woman had made sure no one, including Shelia, could find her. He'd never given it much thought until now but Shelia had never come to the mansion without Bonnie trailing after her. Caroline had taken a shine to her early on and had become her impromptu babysitter and eventually best friend. Damon had kept his distance until she'd begged him to teach her to cook when she was eleven. It took her a few weeks to wear him down but he'd finally caved in after Shelia teased him.

_She's just a girl, Damon, she won't bite. Let her cook dinner with you. _

Bonnie had been his sous chef ever since and he supposed they'd spent enough time together that some people might call them friends.

"I guess you're right" he said, staring into his drink.

Bonnie gave him an odd look then suddenly reached out and grabbed his wrist. He felt the tingle of power slither up his arm and he shuddered. She let go and he glowered at her.

"You know I don't like when you do that" he grumbled

"Damon your humanity" she whispered, a huge smile plastered across her face.

"What about it?"

"It's on, like all the way on. It _is _her isn't it? Oh my god you're in lo…"

"Don't say it!" he cut her off and narrowed his eyes at her "and wipe that stupid smile off your face, they're coming downstairs"

**"****E**lena?" she heard Caroline calling from her room down the hall.

_Shit _she thought.

"Uh, I'm in here" she called back.

She'd just finished with her shower and was standing by Damon's bed wrapped in a towel.

Caroline opened the door and her jaw dropped.

"Oh. My. God! Elena Gilbert! Did you…?"

"Yes" she said barely containing the girlish giggle bubbling in her throat

"Oh my God!" Caroline practically leapt across the room and grabbed Elena by the shoulders with a crazed grin on her face "Oh my god!"

"I know, it's nuts but it just kind of happened" she found herself grinning back at her friend.

"Oh my _God_!"

"Would you please say something else?"

"How was it?!"

The titter of laughter fought its way to the surface and she felt her cheeks burn red.

"That good huh?"

She fell back on the bed and Caroline collapsed next to her

"He's….I don't know, Care. He was _different _today and then he was so sad about Bonnie's grams and then we were kissing and…oh my God" she finished with a giddy laugh.

Caroline squealed and jumped up

"This is going to be great! Get dressed and let's go downstairs. You need to meet Bonnie"

Elena grabbed the outfit Damon had picked for her and ran to the bathroom to put it on. She smiled at herself in the mirror when she'd finished dressing. He knew her so well. He'd chosen a pair of jeans, ankle boots, and a plum colored long sleeve shirt with a black camisole for underneath.

Caroline grabbed her hand, pulling her towards the door and down the stairs to the parlor.

Elena wasn't sure what she was expecting but the lovely girl with emerald green eyes and mocha skin was not what she had imagined the witch would look like.

"You must be Elena. I'm Bonnie" the girl crossed the room and put her arms around Elena.

She was caught off guard but awkwardly returned the hug.

Bonnie pulled away and gave her an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, I just feel like I already know you."

Elena returned the smile "You got here fast" she commented.

"We did?" Caroline said, sounding confused

"It's two in the morning, Elena" Damon told her with a warm smile.

"It is?"

"Yep" he confirmed

"Oh" she stared at the floor feeling a little embarrassed. They'd apparently been upstairs a lot longer than she thought.

"Well I'm starving" Bonnie said and broke up the uncomfortable moment

Elena perked up "Me too!" she looked anxiously at Damon.

Caroline nodded in agreement.

"Alright, alright" he held his hands palms up at them. "Where the hell is Klaus? I need someone to drink with."

As if on cue, Elena heard the front door creak open and a moment later, Klaus entered the room.

"You rang?" he said with a grin

Caroline launched herself into his arms and he swung her around in a circle.

"I missed you!" she beamed at him.

"You saw me not six hours ago" he chuckled at her.

"Waaay too long!" she exclaimed and gave him a noisy kiss.

He chuckled and nuzzled her nose "Agreed."

"Okay enough with the love fest. Are we eating or not?" Damon cut in.

Bonnie swatted him on the arm "Be nice"

He glared at her and she rolled her eyes at him.

Elena looked around at the group and felt herself growing sad. She didn't want to leave this place. Caroline was the closest thing to a best friend she'd ever had and somehow she knew that she and Bonnie would be fast friends, too. Then there was Damon. How could she leave him now? She hadn't wrapped her head around everything that had happened between them but she knew whatever it was, it was real and it felt right. She felt more at home here among vampires and witches than she ever had in the house with Uncle Grayson. He'd given her everything, protected her, raised her, and loved her, but being here had made her realize how truly lonely she'd been for most of her life.

Damon's light touch on her arm brought her out of her reverie.

"You ok?" he asked, looking concerned. She looked around and realized everyone was heading to the kitchen.

"I'm great" she said with a wide smile "Let's eat!"

He smirked back at her and scooped her into his arms.

"What are you doing?" she giggled and put her arms around his neck.

"Carrying you to the kitchen"

"I see that but why?"

"Because I can and it's an excuse to touch you"

"Weren't you just making fun of Klaus and Caroline for this?"

He stopped "Do you want me to put you down?"

"No" she said sheepishly and tightened her grip on his neck.

"That's what I thought" he carried her to the archway and set her down on her feet.

"You two are _adorable_" Caroline teased.

"Shut up, Blondie" Damon retorted with a grin and turned to Bonnie "Are you helping me?"

"You know it. God I missed this kitchen" she got up and starting rummaging through the refrigerator.

"What about me? Can I help?" Elena asked coyly, already knowing the answer.

"You don't get to help anymore and stay away from the knives"

"What happened with the knives? Did she stab you?" Klaus asked curiously.

Elena gawked at him "No! I cut my hand slicing cheese"

"Actually, you damn near cut off your finger" he corrected her.

Klaus glanced at her hand and gave Damon a knowing smile "It looks fine now"

"Vampire blood is handy that way" he said simply

Bonnie's head popped out of the fridge "Damon that's dangerous…"  
"I don't need a lecture, Witchy. Nothing is going to hurt her here."

"You don't know that" she said.

"Drop it" he insisted

Bonnie shot him a warning glance but said nothing.

"Oh!" chirped Caroline suddenly "Elena can I show you something? Since Bonnie is home we can go into the forest."

**D**amon couldn't believe he hadn't thought of it himself.

"Good idea. The food will be done by the time you get back" he told Elena.

She gave him a puzzled glance but allowed Caroline to grab her hand drag her out the back door. The moment the door clicked behind them Bonnie spun around to face him.

"What are you going to do?" she demanded

"About what?" he asked indifferently and poured another finger of brandy into his glass.

"About the fact that you're in love with Elena" she stated simply, arms crossed defiantly over her chest.

Klaus snickered into his drink "Oh Bonnie, how I've missed you."

The witch shot him a quick grin and then turned back to Damon, her face unwaveringly serious.

"Well?"

"I'm going to get my brother back and then send her home to her uncle"

"But…" she started

"But what, Bonnie?" he interrupted her and slammed his drink down on the counter "What should I do? Keep her here for the rest of her life? _Turn_ her?"

Bonnie's face was etched in frustration "I think you should give Elena the opportunity to decide for herself"

"I can't do that to her. I can't ask her to stay here with me. She deserves the chance at a normal life and I can't give that to her."

"And Grayson Gilbert can?" Klaus chimed in "The man's kept her in a gilded cage her whole life. Even I can see she's happy here."

"Et tu, Brute?" Damon stared at his friend doubtfully.

"If I've learned anything in the last thousand years, it's that true love comes along once in a lifetime, even lifetimes as long as ours. Don't send it away when it's staring you in the face with a pair of lovely brown doe eyes."

Damon frowned and turned back to the stove. He'd been all set to send her away, compel her to leave if he had to. He'd watch her from a far for the rest of her life and make sure she never wanted for anything. Now he wasn't sure. She did seem happy here, but asking her to stay felt like he was taking away her chance to go to college, have kids, a husband. To be human.

**"****W**here are we going?" Elena was trying to keep up with Caroline "Will you slow down?"

"Sorry" she stopped and waited for Elena to catch up "we're almost there"

They'd been walking for five minutes through the trees. Caroline had grabbed a flashlight from the porch and was leading the way down a worn path. Elena linked her arm through Caroline's to keep pace with her.

"So is Bonnie ok? You know, about her Grams?" Elena asked

"She's hard to read sometimes. Her Gram's raised her, you know? So of course she's sad but I think she's trying to stay strong."

Elena could only nod. Her uncle wasn't perfect but she couldn't imagine losing him.

"She's practically oozing witchy-ness right now though. It's wild." Caroline said

"What do you mean?"  
"She made it start pouring raining on the way home today. It was practically a hurricane and she said that's just the tip of the iceberg"

Elena gaped at her in disbelief "Like actual rain?"

"Yep and wind and lighting. It was so cool."

They finally came to a clearing and Elena could just barely make out the wide Victorian style house at the center. She could see short white pillars supporting a porch that wrapped halfway around the one story house.

"Wow, I bet this is beautiful in the daytime"

"Uh-huh" Caroline confirmed "It's the old Salvatore house. Well it used to be. Damon and Stefan had it torn down and remodeled for Bonnie Grams when her mom was killed trying to help them"

"Help them do what?"

"I don't know. They won't talk about it" she said and led them around the back "but this is what we're here for"

They'd stopped in front of a large wrought iron gate that led to a cemetery.

"You brought me to a graveyard?" Elena asked, baffled.

"Trust me" Caroline said and pushed the gate open.  
Elena followed her in "Why did we have to wait for Bonnie to come here?"

"Vampires can't find this place if there's no Bennett witch on the Salvatore property. Gram's was smart like that."

Caroline weaved around the headstones until she came to the very back and halted.

"Here" she aimed the light at two headstones that looked much newer than any of the others

Elena looked down at them and gasped.

The first one read _Jonathon Gilbert - Beloved Father and Brother._ Its partner read _Isobel Gilbert – Beloved Mother and Friend. _A rosebush with tiny pink buds wove its way up the sides and over the tops.

Tears sprung into her eyes and she felt Caroline's arm slide around her shoulders.

"Grams let me bury them here" she said quietly "and Bonnie planted the roses"

"Thank you" she whispered. Tears streamed down her face for two people she'd never even known.

"You're welcome"

Elena tilted her head and rested it on her friend's shoulder "I don't want to leave."

Caroline dropped her head against Elena's "I don't want you to leave either."

They stood there for a while, staring at the gravestones in silence.

"We should get back" Elena said finally.

Caroline nodded and turned them back towards the mansion.  
Elena hesitated a moment "Care?"  
"Yeah?" she faced Elena with her signature sunny smile.

"I think I love him" it was terrifying to admit to herself, let alone say out loud, but once she said it she knew it was true. However strange and impossible it was, she loved him.

Caroline's expression softened "I think he loves you, too."

**T**here were tear stains on her cheeks when she walked back into the house and he was at her side in a second.

He brushed the pad of his thumb over her face before he pulled her into a hug. She held on to him tightly and he breathed in the scent of her hair. _Keep her, let her go, keep her, let her go_ his mind whirled back and forth.

"Still hungry?" he whispered in her ear.

"Famished" she whispered back.

He leaned back to look at her "Can you pour wine without mutilating yourself?"

A tiny smile crept over her lips "I think I can manage that"

He pointed to a wine-rack across the room "Go get the third bottle from the left on the second shelf. The corkscrew is on the counter and the glasses are in that cabinet" he waved his hand towards a cabinet door.

Bonnie was ladling soup into bowls and Klaus was setting plates while Caroline chattered away about her plans for a new closet. Elena smiled at him as she poured the rich red wine into the glasses. The only thing that was missing was Stefan. _Keep her, let her go, keep her, let her go _he was at war with himself and he still wasn't sure which side would win.

The five of them ate, drank, and talked about anything but the hours to come. Sitting across from her at the table, he tried to memorize the way her eyes lit up when she laughed, drink in every stolen glance as she peeked mischievously at him over her wine glass. They were on their third bottle of wine when the sky started to turn pink. Bonnie was the first to cave.

"I think I need to sleep before tomorrow…today, whatever" she yawned.

"Me too, I'm exhausted" Caroline said

"Then let's to bed" Klaus flew from the table, pulled her out of her chair and threw her over his shoulder.

"Nicklaus Mikalson you put me down this instant!" she cried.

"Not a chance, love. Goodnight everyone" he turned so Caroline was facing them "Say goodnight, Caroline"

She pushed herself up on his back to peer out at them through her blonde curtain "Goodnight" she said with a smile and then they were gone.

Bonnie laughed "Ok you two, I'm going home. Damon, please think about what we talked about."  
"I will" he promised.

She gave him a meaningful look before turning to Elena "Goodnight, Elena. It was nice to finally meet you."  
"Goodnight, Bonnie. It was good to meet you too" she said sincerely, already feeling a connection to the mysterious green eyed witch.


	9. Chapter 9

*****ADULT CONTENT*** **

**I don't know why but I'm super self-conscious posting about the 'adult content' chapters. Thoughts/opinions are always appreciated **

**Sooo this is kind of the beginning of the end for this this story and I wondered if anyone would like me to continue with these characters stories. If you need to see how this one ends before you decide I totally get that, but I thought I'd put it out there and see what you all think about a "to be continued" ending. **

**xoxo **

**Chapter 9**

**T**he door clicked shut behind her and Elena turned back to face Damon. His eyes were hooded and he was watching her intently. She knew that look. She'd seen it several times yesterday afternoon and she tried to think of a way to stall him. She had to convince him to let her stay. He took a long sip of his wine and set the glass down.  
"Damon…" she started.

There was a gust of air and suddenly he was standing by her chair, staring down at her with that same penetrating gaze.

"Do I have to throw you over my shoulder?"

"Just hold on for two minutes. I have to talk to you about something" she said holding her hands palms up at him.

"You have two minutes. Go."

Elena's mind raced, there was so much she wanted to say to him but she didn't know how to say any of it. She went with the first thing that popped into her head "I don't want to leave you."

e He He"Time's up"

Before she could say another word, he'd dragged her from the chair and into his arms. His lips crashed into hers and she resisted for the briefest of moments before her back connected with the wall behind them. He pinned her arms over her head and his mouth pressed urgently against hers. She tried but for the life of her she couldn't remember why she'd been fighting him and with a groan, she kissed him back. Releasing her arms, he slipped a hand under her thigh to lift her leg and grind against her core. She felt fire ignite in her veins as she tugged at the hem of his shirt, breaking the kiss to yank it over his head. Admiring his sculpted form she scored her nails lightly down his chest, earning a hum of pleasure from low in his chest. He tore at the zipper of her jeans and shoved them down her hips along with her underwear. She kicked them off her feet along with her boots and went for his pants, struggling momentarily with the buttons. When she finally got them off she found him still commando.

"Seriously, do you own underwear?" she asked.

"Nope" he was making quick work of her shirt and as soon as he had her naked, he dragged them to the floor with her knees on either side of his hips. Tentatively, she reached between them and brushed her fingers over the hard length resting against his belly. Encouraged by the shudder she felt go through him, she wrapped her hand around him and stroked him experimentally. The skin was silky but hard at the same time and when she slid her hand over the tip, a tiny drop of clear liquid appeared. Something primal inside her kicked in and she tipped her head down to lick it away.

"Fuck, Elena…" he groaned and grabbed her hips.

**T**here was no waiting this time. He needed to be inside her _now. _Reaching between them, he dipped his finger in her already wet folds and positioned himself at her entrance. Gripping her waist firmly, he pushed her hips down and impaled her on his length. Her breath hitched and she whimpered. She wasn't as ready for him this time and he waited a moment for her to adjust. Slowly, he raised her off him and set her back down on his shaft. Tilting her head back she sighed with a sensual smile on her lips. Damon groaned and lifted her again. He used his hands to guide her hips up and down on top of him, absorbed in watching her pleasure stricken face. It took her a couple of minutes but eventually he felt her set her own rhythm and he ran his hands up her sides to cup her breasts. Elena leaned into his touch, curtaining them with her long dark locks as he brought her nipple to his mouth. She gasped and ground her hips against him. Her movements got faster and her gasps turned to tiny cries as he kissed and nipped at every bit of skin he could reach. Her arms were braced on his chest with her nails biting into his flesh and her eyes focused on his as she rode him harder. Feeling her walls start to flutter around him, he sat up and pulled her legs around his waist so they were sitting face to face. He kept his eyes locked on hers as his fangs dropped down and he saw no trace of fear on her features. Instead she pressed herself closer and moaned deep in her throat when his razor sharp teeth sank into the soft skin of her chest.

"Damon!" she screamed as he pumped his hips upwards and sucked slowly on the tiny puncture wounds.

He pulled away, blood dripping from his pointed incisors "Shhh you're going to wake up the whole house" he whispered, giving her a wicked smile.

Looking momentarily embarrassed, she nodded and pulled her lower lips between her teeth.

It was selfish but he never wanted her to feel like this with anyone else, he wanted this experience to be something no one else could give her so he bit into the heel of his hand and held it up to her lips.

"At the same time" he demanded, knowing it would drive them both over the edge.

She didn't hesitate, covering the wound with her mouth and drinking greedily. Pulling her close against him, he buried his sharp teeth in her neck and drove deep into her over and over. He felt her body clamp down around him just as she dragged her face away from his hand, gasping and clawing at his shoulders.

"I can't…oh god, I'm going to scream. Damon…" she whispered frantically against his neck.

Never slowing his thrusts, he moved his mouth from her throat to her bloodstained lips, forgetting to retract his fangs. He almost apologized when he nicked her tongue but she surged forward, deepening the kiss.

** S**he could taste her blood mixed with his as he smothered her cries with his mouth. The flavor was like nothing else, it was them, _their _taste, and she couldn't enough of it. Little stars started skipping around her vision when he sucked at the blood flowing from her tongue. Every pull he took from the gash in her mouth, every pump of his hips, set fire to her skin and had flames of desire licking their way through her entire being. The grip Damon had on her hips would almost certainly leave bruises but there was no pain, only the feeling of their bodies crashing together. Somehow his hand had made its way between them and he was pressing his thumb down on just the right spot to send her spiraling. He pulled away from the kiss and she buried her face in his shoulder.

"Come for me, Elena" he purred and lapped at the blood that had trickled down her collarbone.

Her lungs struggled for breath and the world spun around her as jolts of pleasure shot from her brain all the way down to her toes. He groaned against her skin and she felt him empty himself deep inside her. He fell back against the floor and she collapsed on his chest, both of them trying to catch their breath. They laid there for a while, with nothing but the sound of her heart pounding between them. When her breathing settled, she realized the sun had fully risen in the sky.

_Today is the day_ she thought.

"Please don't make me go" she pleaded, clinging to his body as tight as she could.

"Elena…" he ran his fingers over her hair.

"Please, Damon" her throat closed up at the thought of leaving this place, leaving him.

"You aren't a pet, Elena. I can't keep you here forever and if you stay, I'll never let you leave"

"Why would I leave? Where would I go?"  
"Anywhere. Go anywhere. Travel, fall in love, get married, have a baby. Have a life, Elena."

"But I want a life with _you_, Damon" she insisted. She hated crying but she couldn't control the single tear that rolled down her cheek. He sat up with her in his lap and pushed the hair out of her face.

"Look at me" he said gently, brushing the tear away.

She met his eyes reluctantly "Don't you dare compel me, Damon Salvatore."

"I won't if you promise you'll go when this is over. I need you to have a chance at normalcy, I need you to try and be a regular human being. Please, Elena. Will you do that for me?" Everything in her wanted to refuse to leave his side ever again but she could see how much this meant to him. His chance at a human life had been stolen from him and she couldn't be angry at him for wanting to give her what he could never have.

"Fine" she agreed "but if normal doesn't work for me then you have to let me come back."

**T**his gave him pause. There were four people currently living, or semi-living, who knew where the Salvatore mansion was. The Bennett witch who was around when he built it put a powerful cloaking spell on the house and every witch after her had maintained it. You had to hand it to the Bennett's, they didn't do half-assed spells. A person had to be told the location of the house to remember where it was and it wasn't information he shared often. Damon stared into her warm brown eyes and scolded himself for hesitating. She had trusted him with her life and her body, the least he could do was trust her with his address.

"Deal. You try normal for one year, if it doesn't work you can come back" he caved in and allowed a small, secret part of him to hope that she would come back to him.

"Promise?" she asked.

"I promise"

"Pinky swear" she demanded and held up her little finger.

"What are you, twelve?" he laughed at her.

She raised her eyebrows at him, "I take pinky promises very seriously."

He sighed and linked his pinky with hers "I pinky swear"

"Thank you" she said and kissed him "Now I need coffee"

"You make coffee, I'm going to shower"

"Ok but I'm not sure I can stand up"

Lacing his arms under her backside, he stood up and set her down on her favorite seat at the island.

"Thanks"

"Anytime" he leaned down to kiss her thoroughly before zipping upstairs to his shower, resisting the urge to whistle.

**E**lena found his black t-shirt on the floor and pulled it over her head, inhaling his scent. She pulled her jeans on, taking a page from Damon's book and foregoing the underwear that had disappeared somewhere. Padding around the kitchen, she opened cabinets looking for coffee. She was about to climb on top of the counter when there was a flurry of movement behind her.  
"Looking for this, love?" Klaus asked with a bag of coffee in his hand.

"Is there a rule somewhere that says vampires have to sneak up and scare the crap out of people?" she demanded angrily.

"My apologies, I didn't mean to frighten you" he was wearing his sly smile and he didn't look remotely sorry.

"I guess I should be used to it by now" she muttered under her breath.

He chuckled "I'll put the coffee on to make up for it."

"You're forgiven" she said immediately and sat down.

After he'd started the coffee, he turned to examine her.

"For the record, I think he's a proper idiot for making you leave and I've told him as much."

Elena smiled at him "Thank you. That means a lot coming from you"

"I've still got to help him go through with this plan but I'm going to be very disappointed if you're not back here in one year"  
"Trust me, I will be" she assured him.

"You should tell him before you go."

"Tell him what?" she said, averting her eyes and suddenly becoming very interested in the coffee pot behind him.

"Don't be coy with me. Tell him, Elena. He needs to hear it."

She met his steady gaze reluctantly and nodded "I will."

"Good. Your coffee is done and I have an errand to run" he stopped at the doorway and turned back to her "Bring Caroline a cup of that will you? Light and sweet. She's going to be angry that I snuck off so early."

"I will" she smiled at him.

"I like you, Elena" he said before he turned to leave.

"I like you, too" she said surprised at his confession.

He laughed loudly at that "Now there's something I don't hear often" and he disappeared.

She shook her head at the strange encounter and poured two cups of coffee, hers with just sugar and Caroline's with plenty of cream and sugar. She got all the way to the top of the stairs before she realized she didn't know which room was Caroline's.

"Care? Are you up here?"

There was a rustling noise before Caroline's very sleepy face popped out from behind the door at the end of the hall.

"Elena? Where's Klaus?" her eyes were still half closed.

"Uh he had to leave but I have coffee"

Caroline's arm reached out and her hand made a grabbing motion. Elena hurried down the hall and handed it to her.

"Mmm thanks" she said after the first sip "Come in, I have to get dressed" she held the door open and Elena stepped into Girl Land. Caroline was digging through an overflowing closet in her pink flannel pajama pants. The walls were a cheerful light yellow and gauzy white curtains covered the windows.

"I bet Damon hates this room" she commented

Caroline grinned at her "One of its many perks"

"So I'm leaving after today" Elena choked on the words.

"What? No!" Caroline dropped the dress she was holding and put her hands on her hips.

"He wants me to try and be _normal _for a year. Whatever that is….But I'm coming back after that"

"And you think you will? Come back?" she didn't sound convinced as she pulled a green sundress over her head.

"I know I will. I'll miss you too much"

Caroline's eyes welled with tears "I'm going to miss you, too"

Elena set her cup down seconds before she was pulled into a fierce hug.

"Breakable human here" she rasped.

"Oops"

The death grip relaxed and Elena hugged her back.

** I**t had been a long time since he'd thought of anyone else, felt badly for hurting people, or felt anything at all for that matter, but when he overheard the exchange down the hall he'd actually felt bad for Caroline Forbes. It hadn't occurred to him that he wasn't the only one who had grown attached to Elena.

"Pull it together, Salvatore" he mumbled to himself and wandered out of the bathroom to get dressed.

All three of them were sitting at the top of the steps laughing when he came out of his room.

"Good morning, ladies" he smirked at Elena, earning himself a light flush on her cheeks.

Bonnie sighed audibly, clearly disappointed that girl time was over "Klaus will be back soon. We should start" she said.

He nodded "Blondie, come help me"

"Ok" Caroline hopped up and headed down the stairs.

"Elena, you should come with me" Bonnie said carefully and stood up with her hand held out.

She took the other girl's hand and glanced nervously back at him as they headed down the stairs.

"Wait!" she stopped midway and ran back to him, throwing herself into his arms and clinging to him. Bonnie gave him a tiny smile and continued down the staircase.

"Hey" he said gently and pulled her face up to look at him "what's wrong?"

Her expression was impossible to read and she was gnawing at her lip again "You're going to chew a hole in your lip. What's the matter?"

"Nothing is the matter. That's the problem. I don't know what's going to happen today and even if it's completely crazy, I have to say it. I love you, Damon. I love y…"

He cut her off with a fiery kiss before he stared back down at her in wonder.  
"I love _you_, Elena" telling her felt like a weight being lifted off his chest. Hearing her say those three little words was the best thing that had ever happened to him.

"Damon I…"

He shushed her and kissed the top of her head "We just have to get through this day, ok? Then we'll talk about it."  
She nodded and pressed her lips to his before taking off down the stairs.

**B**onnie was in the dining room when Elena found her setting a long ornate dagger on the table.

"Ummm" she backed away a little.

"It's for ceremony purposes only, I swear. It'll be a tiny nick on your hand. It won't even leave a scar" Bonnie promised.

She took a few hesitant steps into the room "What are they doing downstairs?" she asked

"Getting Stefan"

"What do you mean 'getting Stefan'?" she asked, not entirely sure she wanted the answer.

"Did you think I was going to conjure him out of thin air? Grams preserved him with a spell and he's in a coffin downstairs"

"That is the creepiest thing I've ever heard"

Bonnie stared at her with her wide grin "You've spent almost a week in this house and _that's_ the creepiest thing you've ever heard?"

Maybe it was the utter strangeness of the entire situation, maybe they were both a little hysterical over what was about to happen, but they burst out laughing at the same time. Elena was still trying to control the fit of giggles when she heard them coming up the stairs. The knot returned to the pit of her stomach.

"We can just get this part out of the way now" Bonnie reached for her hand and Elena reluctantly held it out to her. She tried but she couldn't tear her eyes away from the tip of the blade as it pierced her hand and blood poured out into a small copper bowl. The wound stung as it bled, filling the bowl more than halfway. Then Bonnie grasped her hand and whispered over it.

"Not as fast as vampire blood but it does the trick" the witch turned her hand over to show her a small cut that was already pink and healing.

"Didn't even hurt" she lied.

Bonnie gave her a knowing smile as Damon and Caroline came in with a large coffin on their shoulders. They set it gently on the table and Elena shuddered. It was still weird to think there was a body downstairs the whole time she'd been here. Damon flipped the upper lid open to reveal a grayish corpse with veins protruding all over its skin. Elena could see he'd been a handsome man when he was alive but she backed away and wrinkled her nose. She'd never seen a dead body before, let alone a dead vampire.

"Creepy, huh?" Damon commented glibly and she nodded, unable to look away from the coffin.

"He's less creepy and more broody when he's not dead" he told her.

She smirked at him, only Damon would crack jokes over his brother's dead body.

Klaus was suddenly standing in the archway looking panicked and Elena's heart instantly started to pound. If Klaus was worried, then it couldn't be good news.

"He wasn't there" he said to Damon.

"What do you mean he wasn't there?"

"I mean I stood there for a bloody hour and he never showed!"

Damon looked to Bonnie and she shook her head "I can't do anything without the stake"

"Goddamnit!" he shouted

"Elena, can I see your hand?" Bonnie asked

She cringed inadvertently.

"No more cuts, I just want to see something"

Elena held out her hand and the witch closed her cool fingers over her own. There was a jolt that felt like a tiny electric shock and then Bonnie let go.  
"He's here. Grayson Gilbert is somewhere on the property.

"You sent Klaus to meet my uncle?" she glared at Damon.

"Life tip: if you have a meeting with someone who wants to kill you, you call in a favor to your un-killable friend" he told her unapologetically and turned to Bonnie "Can you see where he is?"

She reached out to Elena again and Elena grabbed her hand without pause. The little shockwave of power rolled through her again but this time Bonnie didn't let go. She squeezed her eyes shut and her brows furrowed as she gripped Elena's hand a little tighter before finally releasing her.

"He's close and he's been using the stake. I can feel his rage, Damon. It's bad."

He turned to face Elena "What is wrong with the men in your family? Do they enjoy making life difficult?" he demanded angrily.

"I…" before she could finish her thought there was a crash at the front door.

"Apparently they have issues with doorbells too…" he muttered, thinking back to the last Gilbert to burst through that door.

"Let me talk to him" she said to Damon.

"No, you three stay here. You don't know what that fucking stake does to people."

He and Klaus took off down the hall. The girls stood and stared at each other for a moment.

"Well screw that!" Caroline said and stormed off after them with Bonnie and Elena right behind her.

**I**t had been nearly a decade since he'd laid eyes on Grayson Gilbert but the man had not aged well. Damon barely recognized him as he stood in the foyer, stake in hand and his once lively green eyes filled with hate. His usually attractive face was covered in three day old scruff. The button down shirt he wore might have been blue once but now it was stained with dirt and blood and his khakis were ripped in several places.

"This whole escaped madman thing isn't really working for you, Gilbert" Damon mocked him.

"Where is Elena?" the other man snarled.

"Elena is fine. Why don't you give me the stake and you can take her home right now" he said as calmly as he could. He was going to at least try for tactful.  
"Fuck you, monster" he raised the stake and charged Damon. _So much for diplomacy _he thought. This time there was no Isobel or Stefan to distract him and, even with the power from the stake fueling Grayson on, Damon moved easily out of the way. Grayson tumbled face first into the floor with a feral growl. He shoved himself back up fast as lighting and charged again. Klaus stepped in front of him and the stake went straight into his sternum.

He made a tsking sound and wagged his finger at Grayson "Now that wasn't very nice."

Klaus tore the stake from his chest and Grayson backed away, his expression baffled.

"You…you're the hybrid."

"Oh good, you've heard of me. That will save us both a bit of time" Klaus threw the stake across the room and advanced on him.

"Wait! Please, don't hurt him!" Elena burst into the room just as Damon was picking up the cursed stick where Klaus had thrown it.

Klaus stopped three feet from his prey and glared at Elena. Bonnie and Caroline skidded to a halt at the doorway and Damon heard Caroline's surprised gasp. Elena had placed herself between her uncle and Klaus with her arms up. Damon resisted the impulse to grab her and pull her out of harm's way. He was still hoping they could get through this without any bloodshed or death and if anyone could talk the crazed vampire hunter down, it was her.

"Elena?" Grayson's voice had gentled.

"Yes it's me, Uncle Grayson. Let Damon have the stake and we can leave" she turned to face him, her expression frantic and afraid "Right, Damon? You have what you need so we can go home now."

"Yep, that was the deal" he nodded and silently prayed the man wasn't so far gone he couldn't see reason.

"He's a liar, Elena. They'll kill us in our sleep. We have to kill them all" Grayson hissed at her.

_Son of a bitch _he thought. The sane, rational Grayson, who would have grabbed his niece and ran, was gone. The madness had taken over leaving a demented hunter whose sole purpose in life was killing vampires.

"No, he won't. He's not going to hurt us" she took a cautious step toward him "Let's just go home, ok?" she held out her hand.

"Elena, get away from him. He's….not well" Damon said cautiously.

"It's ok, Damon. Please, just let me handle this" she told him.

"Are you with them?" Grayson recoiled and backed away from her.

Elena stepped toward him again "No…I mean…They…They're my friends, Uncle Grayson. They won't hurt us"

Grayson was staring at her, his mouth opening and closing but no words were coming out. She took a few more slow steps toward him and put her hand on her arm.

"Traitor" Grayson's voice was pure ice as he glowered at Elena "Don't touch me, vampire's whore."

Damon watched the hurt creep over her face and it nearly broke him.

"Elena, back away from your uncle" he said and started to reach for her.

She ignored him and shook her head at Grayson. Anger boiled in Damon's veins as he watched tears pop into her eyes.

"**P**lease Uncle Grayson, just listen to me" her heart was breaking into a thousand pieces. He was her family, her blood, the only parent she'd ever known. How could he say that to her? She reached out again and placed her hand back on his arm. He scowled at her and she saw his other hand come up out of the corner of her eye. The next second was a confusing blur for her. One moment she was standing in front of her uncle, trying to talk some sense into him. The next his hand connected with her cheek and there was a sharp pain in her neck. Then everything went black.


	10. Chapter 10

**I worked extra hard perfecting this chapter and I really hope you all like where I take things. I am truly sorry if this isn't how you hoped things would turn out for Elena but if I'm going to continue on with these characters, this is the best way I could think of to do it.**

**xoxo**

**Chapter 10**

**I**f the moment was a blur for Elena, it had happened in slow motion for the rest of them. Damon was a fraction of a second too late to stop Grayson's hand as the back of it smashed into the side of Elena's face with such force her head spun. The stake fell from his hands, and he watched in horror as Elena's neck twisted with a sickening _snap. _He heard Caroline scream and Bonnie's sharp intake of breath. Damon listened for her heartbeat but heard no sound coming from the lifeless form sprawled across the floor. She was dead.

Pure hatred burned white hot in his brain and he let the demon in him take over. He didn't even remember pinning Grayson to the wall by his throat, fangs bared and ready to rip him to shreds.

"Damon, don't!" Caroline shrieked at him through her tears.

He stared at her in disbelief "He killed her" he growled furiously.

"She's going to wake up" Bonnie said quietly.

The realization hit him like a ton of bricks as a vision of her lips covered in his blood flashed before his eyes. Turning back to Grayson, who was clawing uselessly at Damon's arm, he roared in frustration.

"You have no idea what you've done" he hissed, yanking Grayson back by his neck and slamming him back against the wall hard enough to knock him unconscious. He dropped him and watched him slide to the floor.

Bonnie carefully picked up the stake and examined it.

"You should take her upstairs, Damon. Caroline, help Klaus get Mr. Gilbert to the basement. I'm going to wake Stefan up" Bonnie directed them so calmly it was almost unnerving and then turned to go back to the parlor.

Damon went to crouch next to Elena's body and gently brushed the hair off of her still warm face. He'd tried so hard to do the right thing, to give her everything she deserved. Now she was going to have to choose between death and eternity, a choice he'd never wanted her to have to make. Carefully, he picked her up in his arms and cradled her to his chest.

"I'm so sorry" he whispered against her cheek.

He took her to his room and tucked her into his bed. It would be a couple of hours before she woke up and he had some unfinished business with Grayson Gilbert.

"I won't kill him, but only because I know it would piss you off" he told her and kissed her forehead.

Before he went to the basement, he stopped to check on Bonnie. She was standing over Stefan with the stake, Elena's blood soaked into the tip. He'd been listening to Bennett witches chant and cast spells for decades and he'd never understood a single word they said. Today was no different but he stood and listened to her for a few minutes. She finished the incantation and looked up at him.

"Are you ok?" she asked, sounding genuinely concerned.

"No" he said bluntly and stared at Stefan's body "is he going to be awake soon?"

"Yes but you should be waiting with Elena."

"I will but I'm going to have a little chat with her uncle first."  
"Damon…" she warned

"Don't 'Damon' me. I'm just going to talk to him." he was still gazing at his brother when a light-bulb went off "Could you do the same thing to Grayson? Use the stake to give him his mind back?"

Bonnie wrinkled her brows and thought for a moment "Yes, I think I could do that but why would you do that for him?"

"I wouldn't. I'd do it for Elena and I'd do it so he can hate himself for doing this to her."

She nodded "Let me finish here and I'll come downstairs."

"Where's Caroline? I should be back before she wakes up but I don't want her to be alone"

"I'm right here" she appeared next to him, her face red and streaked with tears "I'll go sit with her"

"And I'm coming downstairs with you" Klaus materialized at his other side "I owe Mr. Gilbert a broken nose."

Damon gave him a curt nod and they walked together to the basement. It had been Klaus's idea to have a cell installed in the house as a 'precaution'.

_"__One never knows who might come to visit" _he'd said. His friend rarely steered him wrong. Damon halted in front of the oversized steel door and took the key off the ring next to it.

"We can't kill him" he reminded Klaus.

"Whatever you say, mate"

Damon pried the door open and found Grayson Gilbert chained securely to a chair at the center of the dank cell. Without hesitation, he approached the unconscious man and slapped him across the face.

"Wake up"

Nothing.

He slapped him again.

"Wake up you piece of shit" he demanded.

Grayson groaned and his eyes opened sluggishly. They focused in on Damon and he started to struggle.

Damon smiled viciously and put his face in front of Grayson's "Stop moving and listen to me" he compelled him and the other man's movement ceased immediately.

"No vervain? God, you really are an idiot aren't you?"

Grayson made a snarling sound and Klaus chuckled behind them.

Damon stood up straight and stared down at the madman before him.

"I'd give anything to suck the life out of you right now but then she'd be mad at _me_ instead of _you_ and I can't have that"

"What are you talking about? Elena is dead" the complete lack of remorse in Grayson's voice made Damon wish all the more that he could just kill him and be done with it. Only the knowledge that the real Grayson, the one who actually cared that he accidently snapped his niece's neck, was still in there somewhere prevented him from tearing into his artery.

"Technically, yes but she should be waking up any time now."  
"What have you done?" Grayson's eyes went wide.

Damon shook his finger in the air "Oh no, no, no Gilbert, this one's on you" he reconsidered for a moment "Ok maybe I gave her my blood but turning Elena was never part of the plan. I didn't want this for her. I was going to give her back to you, free and clear. She deserved a shot at a normal life. Even when she _begged _me to let her stay, I told her no. Now you've practically handed her to me on a silver platter. You Gilbert men and that goddamn stake. You never learn."

"No…it can't be" Grayson whispered

"Yes it can be and it is." Damon replied matter-of-factly "She had my blood in her system when she died."

"You forced her…"

Damon cut him off "Wrong again! I let her go yesterday, told her she could leave whenever she wanted, but she stayed. She was going to help me get Stefan back, go home to you, and live a nice long _human _life. As for my blood...I'll spare you the steamy details but I can assure you it was the opposite of forced."

"You're lying!" Grayson shouted.

Damon grinned evilly down at him "I get why you might think that but no, I'm really not. So now that you've royally fucked everything up, here's what's going to happen. Once Glenda the Good Witch is done with my baby bro, she's going to come down here and give you your sanity back so you can feel every ounce of self-loathing over what you've done to her. If Elena wants to transition when she wakes up, I'm going to give her a bag of O-negative."

He dropped back down to Grayson's level so he could look him in the eye.

"Then she's _mine_. She can stay here for as long as she wants and there's not a damn thing you can do about it."  
"NO!" the man shrieked and his eyes bulged. He started screaming wildly at Damon.

Klaus stepped forward and punched Grayson in the face. He stopped screaming and fell back into unconsciousness.

"He screams like a woman" Klaus remarked and left the cell with Damon close behind. They met Bonnie halfway as she walked down the stairs with the stake tucked under her arm and the little copper bowl in her hands.

"He's all yours" Damon waved his hand dismissively at the cell door.

"Stefan's color is starting to come back. He should be awake in a few hours." she started to walk away but stopped and turned back to Damon "Whatever your reasons are for asking me to help him it's the right thing to do and I'm glad you thought of it."

"Don't go getting all mushy on me, Witchy. I'm still the big bad vampire" he winked at her and she gave him a sideways smile before they went their separate ways.

Damon stopped at the cooler and grabbed a blood bag for Elena. He was about to go back to his room when he opted to pour the contents into a glass for her, thinking it might be slightly less weird for her than the bag. Part of him was terrified she wouldn't want to make the change, that she would rather die than be a vampire. He replayed the scene on the stairs over and over again in his head, hoping she loved him enough to want to be with him, literally, forever. He knew, whatever her choice, he would never love anyone the way he loved Elena Gilbert. If there was such a thing as a soul-mate, he'd found his.

**T**here was a dull throbbing in her brain and every time she tried to open her eyes, the sun seemed to scorch her retinas. She let the blackness take over her again for a while before she vaguely heard someone softly calling her name.

"Come on Elena, open your eyes. I closed the curtains for you" a man's low, husky voice coaxed. She knew she liked the voice, trusted it, but everything felt so strange and she just wanted to sleep. Then there was this _smell_ invading her nostrils and it was like no other scent she'd ever experienced. It was sweet but subtly metallic and she wanted whatever it was more than she'd ever wanted anything. She groaned and tried again to force her eyes open.

"That's it, you're okay" Damon's voice was clearer now and she knew it was him.

Elena blinked a few times, trying to focus on the fuzzy outline of Damon sitting in a chair next to the bed.

"There you are" he said, sounding relieved when her eyes were fully open. She could just barely make out the unreadable expression on his face. She blinked several more times before things started to come into focus. They were in his room and she was in his bed. That was ok, she liked being in his bed, but she didn't know how she'd gotten there.

"What happened?" she rasped.

A choked sob came from the other side of the room and she saw Caroline standing by the fire place with tears in her eyes.

"Not helping, Blondie" Damon said through his teeth.

She tried sitting up but the room spun around her.

"Whoa there let's take it slow, ok?"

"Damon? What happened? Where's Uncle Grayson?"

"He's….in time out."

She could tell he was avoiding telling her what was wrong with her and she was suddenly very upset

"What _happened_?" her voice cracked and she could feel tears forming in her eyes. _Why am I crying? _She thought, feeling ridiculous. She had never been a girl who cried for no apparent reason.

"Try to stay calm, ok? Deep breaths" he told her.

She met his cool blue gaze and allowed it to sooth her before slowly inhaling and exhaling.

He let her take a few more long breaths before he spoke.

"You died, Elena" he said softly.

"I…what?" her mind whirled. That didn't make any sense. How could she be dead? She was breathing and she _felt _alive.

"You died with my blood in your system. Do you remember what I told you about that?"

Shock rolled through her "Am I…am I a vampire?"

"Not yet" he said. There was a glass in his hands she hadn't noticed until he swirled the liquid around and _that _smell hit her again. She wanted to snatch it from his hands and gulp it down but he was sitting too far away and she didn't feel like she could stand yet.

"Elena?" he asked, drawing her attention back to his face "You don't have to change if you don't' want to."

"What happens if I don't?" she asked, even though she was pretty sure she already knew the answer.

"You'll die" Caroline said gently and inched closer to the bed.

More tears came into her eyes "I'm not ready to die"

"Then this is your only option" Damon said sadly and held the glass out to her. She stared at it confused. She wanted it so badly but the idea of drinking human blood was strange and slightly gross.

"Damon, I'm scared" she said and felt her voice quake.

He set the glass down on the nightstand and sat down on the other side of the bed next to her

"I know and you don't have to do anything you don't want to, but Caroline is right, if you don't drink it you'll die."

She glanced over at the tumbler and sighed before carefully picking it up. The closer it got to her face, the better it smelled and the more she wanted it. Bringing the glass to her lips, she took a tiny sip. It was amazing, better than anything she'd ever tasted, and her body seemed to sigh in relief as the rich liquid slid down her throat. The moment she felt the blood start to course through her veins, her gums started to ache. The ache quickly turned to real pain and she cried out, grabbing at her mouth.

"Yeah that part sucks but it only lasts for a second" Damon told her with a pitying look.

Elena reached up and touched her upper canine. She felt the sharp tip prick her finger but when she looked at it, the injury was already gone.

"Finish it, you'll feel better" he insisted.

She nodded and stared at the glass in her hands. _This is so weird _she thought before gathering her resolve and swallowing the rest of the contents down. He was right, she felt instantly better. More than better, she felt fantastic. When she looked over at Damon's face, it was like she was really seeing him for the first time and it took her breath away. The hard edge of his jaw was more defined somehow and it perfectly accentuated curve of his lips. His eyes seemed to reflect every tiny sliver of light in the dim room and she could finally identify all the different shades of blue in them.

"You're beautiful" she muttered awe.

"So are you" he told her, her favorite little smirk playing at the corners of his mouth.

Coming out of her trance, she sobered as a troubling question popped into her brain.

"How did I die?" she asked.

"You…" he trailed off and looked helplessly at the unusually quiet Caroline.

She moved slowly to the foot of the bed "What's the last thing you remember?"

Elena thought for a moment and tried to piece together her memories.

"Uncle Grayson was here. He was acting crazy and I was trying to talk to him. He called me a traitor and….that other thing… and then…nothing. Everything goes black after that."

Caroline cleared her throat and wrung her hands "I can't say this for sure, but I think with the supernatural boost from the stake, your uncle didn't know his own strength and he hit you really hard, like _really, really _hard, and it sort of broke your neck."

Of all the things Caroline could have said, that was last thing she had anticipated.

"Are you trying to tell me my uncle killed me? That…that can't be true"

Her friend's expression turned worried "I really don't think he meant to. He wasn't himself but Bonnie is going to help him and…"

She stopped her with a raised hand "What do you mean Bonnie is going to help him?"

"Damon asked if Bonnie could do the same thing for your uncle that she did for Stefan, give back what the stake took, and she thinks she can so he should be better in a few hours" Caroline tried for a little smile but it didn't last.

"Will he remember what happened?" she asked, not sure of what she wanted the answer to be.

Bonnie appeared at the door and knocked on the frame before entering.

"Yes, he knows. He's already coming back to himself" she sat down at Elena's feet, her eyes serious "How are you feeling?"

"I don't know. Physically I feel great but it's taking everything I have not to break down and cry"

Bonnie grasped her hand sympathetically "I have something for you." She reached into her sweater pocket with her other hand and produced a silver ring with a dark blue stone at the center.

"It's a daylight ring. I made it a while ago and I guess it was for you" Bonnie held it out to her.

"You made it for me before you knew me?" Elena took it from Bonnie's palm and pushed it onto the ring finger of her left hand. It was pretty, with the center stone a long oval and tiny diamonds at each corner.

Bonnie shrugged "I had the strange urge to make one a few weeks ago and Gram's told me to go with it, so I did"

"Thank you" she said, feeling a little bewildered "and thank you for helping my uncle."

Bonnie gave her a small smile "Of course."

Damon's arm slid around her shoulder as her lip started to tremble. It was like she was experiencing every single emotion all at once and the stupid tears just wouldn't stop.

"Why do I keep _crying_?"

"Everything is going to be a kind of intense for a while. It's going to be ok" he told her.

"How? How is it going to be ok when I can't even control my emotions?"

"You're going to stay here with us and we're going to help you" Caroline said and came around to stand next to her "I mean, if you still want to stay here."

For a moment her heart soared _I can stay! _Then she remembered Damon said something about her uncle and time out.

"What about my uncle? Where is he?"

Bonnie gave Damon a pointed look "He should be fine now. You should go get him so he can talk to Elena."

"Are you out of your mind? He killed her! He's lucky to be alive" Damon scoffed.

Elena turned her best doe eyes on him "Please, I need to talk to him. If Bonnie says it's safe then it is, right?"

He glared at the witch "If anything happens to her…"  
"It won't" Bonnie promised "I took what was left of Elena's blood and sealed the stake in a box with a spell. You need her blood to open it but since she's technically dead, there's actually no way to get inside it."

"And I suppose said box is indestructible?" he asked.

"Obviously" she said and rolled her eyes.  
"I knew I kept you around for a reason" he quipped and turned to Elena "He has ten minutes"

"Damon…" Elena warned.

"Fine, thirty minutes."

She raised her eyebrows at him and gave him a long look.

"Ok, ok as long as you need" he kissed the top of her head and disappeared in a flash of movement.

The moment he was gone she peered up at Caroline with a hint of a smile.

"I can stay" she whispered happily.

Her friend gave a little squeak of delight and beamed at her.

Truthfully, she'd never really even thought about being a vampire. Even when she knew she was in love with Damon, it wasn't something she'd considered. Now everything had changed and she still wasn't sure how she felt about it. The only thing she knew for certain was that Damon wasn't going to send her away, she could stay with him here forever and as long as she focused on that, the future didn't seem quite so scary.

"They're coming up." Caroline said with her head tilted toward the door "Do you want us to give you guys a minute?"

Elena listened carefully and sure enough, she could hear the two men climbing up the stairs. She could even distinguish between Damon's steady footsteps and her uncle's heavy plodding.

"Maybe just wait outside the door?" she said, feeling a bubble of fear rise in her belly. She wasn't sure what to expect. Her uncle had never even raised his voice to her and the way he'd looked, the things he'd said today, frightened her.

Bonnie reached up and squeezed her hand again "We'll be right outside, ok?"

Elena nodded and they got up to leave just as Uncle Grayson appeared at the door with Damon standing behind him, arms crossed over his chest, glowering at her uncle's back.

Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, she stood up "I'll be fine" she said to Damon.

He gave her a speculative glance before he sighed and followed the girls down the hall. Their footsteps stopped at the top of the stairs and she heard them sit down together. She felt better knowing they were right there waiting for her.

Uncle Grayson was standing in the doorway looking disheveled and exhausted. When he finally met her gaze, her fear dissipated. His eyes were no longer crazed and his expression was devastated. He seemed to be struggling so she took a tentative step towards him.

"Uncle Grayson?"

He held very still and stared at her with a sadness that made her want to cry "Elena I….I can't even begin to apologize…Are you…are you alright?"

"I'm fine, really" she said, realizing that despite everything she still wanted to comfort him.

"You've transitioned then?" he asked

"Yes" she replied nervously.

He nodded "Then let's go home. I can help you."

"No, I'm sorry Uncle Grayson but I'm going to stay here. This is where I belong."

"You belong at home with me, Elena" he insisted.

She shook her head "I can't go back to the way it was before. Bonnie and Caroline are my friends and Damon…Damon and I have grown very close."

She was afraid he would react badly if she told him she was in love with a hundred and seventy year old vampire.

"It's too dangerous here. _He's _dangerous" her uncle's voice was starting to sound frantic.

"You don't know him like I do. You don't know any of them. I can't explain it but being here with them feels right and I'm not going anywhere."

"Well I'm not leaving without you" he said resolutely.

"You have to" she told him "Everyone in this house understands what I'm going through and you never will" she didn't want to sound harsh but he needed to hear it "and it's not like you're never going to see me again. I'll come visit you soon" she promised.

He shook his head "No, I won't accept that."

"Mr. Gilbert, Elena is right. We can help her in ways that you can't" Bonnie said as she reappeared in the room "You need to find your family and try to make things right with your son."

She was about to agree when Bonnie's words sank in "Your son? You have a son? I have a cousin and an aunt?" she asked him, stunned. He'd never so much as mentioned a family to her.

"Yes, his name is Jeremy and my ex-wife is Miranda" he told her carefully.

Anger filled her and she narrowed her eyes at him "Have you ever told me the truth about _anything_? I'm not going anywhere with you. I don't even want to look at you. Get out" she pointed at the door and turned away from him.

"Please let me explain…" Grayson reached out to her.

"I said, GET OUT!" she screamed at him and felt her face change as the rage scorched through her.

"I'm so sorry, Elena. I just assumed you knew…." Bonnie said meekly and backed slowly out of the room.

Damon was at her side in a second, his strong embrace pulling her against his chest.

"Shhh, it's ok. No one is going to lie to you anymore" he calmed her.

Her fangs and the veins disappeared as she buried her face in the safety of his shoulder "Get him out of here, please" she whispered.

"Gladly"

**"****W**e can do this one of two ways, Grayson" Damon told the pathetic looking man across the room "I can drag you out of here and leave you in the woods or you can let my pretty blonde friend out there drive you home."

He silently hoped he'd get to toss him into the trees.

"Elena, please come with me and I'll tell you everything" Grayson pleaded with the back of her head.

She curled her fingers tightly into Damon's shirt and he could feel her fighting the urge to attack. His Warrior Princess never ceased to amaze him. Most new vampires wouldn't have been able to control the bloodlust that came with the vampire temper, but she was managing to keep it at bay. Damon held her snugly against him just in case. He was reasonably sure she wasn't going to lose it but the last thing she needed was a dead family member on her conscience.

"No, I don't believe you. All you do is _lie _and I'm sick of it. Just go" she said bitterly, refusing to look at her uncle.

A defeated look came over Grayson's face "If that's what you really want…"

"It is" she said decisively.

He nodded and walked slowly out of the room. Damon listened as Caroline walked with him and was less than surprised to hear her trying to reassure him. The girl epitomized the phrase "eternal optimist".

_"__Don't worry, she'll come around. She's just hyper-sensitive right now, give her some time." _

_"__He'll never let me see her again" _

_"__Damon will do whatever makes Elena happy. If she wants to see you, he won't stop her." _

_"__What's going on between them?" _

_"__Are you sure you want to know?" _

_"__No, but I need to know she's safe" _

_"__He loves her. He would die before he let anything happen to her." _

_"__Does she love him?" _

_"__Yes" _

He heard the front door creak open.

_"__I don't need a ride home. Just promise me she'll be ok." _

_"__I promise you, she's going to be fine. I've never met anyone as strong and smart and kind as Elena. You should be proud of her. Any other girl wouldn't have survived ten minutes in this house."_

_"__You wrote me that note all those years ago, didn't you?" _

_"__Yes and I'm sorry if it upset you. I thought you would want to know what happened to them."_

_"__What's your name?" _

_"__I'm Caroline" _

_"__Thank you, Caroline." _

_"__You're welcome, Mr. Gilbert." _

The door clicked closed and Damon heard Grayson walk away from the property.

"He's gone" he told Elena.

She clung to him and started to cry.

"Let it out, I've got you" he told her, running his hand up and down her back.

Huge wracking sobs tore through her and he felt her shake in his arms. He held her like that for a long time until eventually he felt her relax and the tears stopped. She wiped her face with her hand and pulled back to look up at him.

"What about Stefan?" she asked, still sniffling.

"Shit" he'd nearly forgotten about his brother. He focused in on the sounds coming from the rest of the house but only heard Caroline and Bonnie's voices. "I don't hear him yet. Will you come downstairs and wait with me?"

"Of course" she said.

She threaded her fingers through his and he pulled her hand up to kiss her knuckles.

"I love you, Elena"

"I love you too, Damon" she replied as though it were the most natural thing in the world for her to love him, and for the first time in his exceptionally long life he felt whole.

The five of them milled around the parlor and watched as the color ever so slowly returned to Stefan's skin. Damon was sitting on the couch next to Elena, trying to think of what to say to his brother when he finally opened his eyes but he kept coming up empty. What do you say to a guy who's been dead for almost two decades? And how the hell was he supposed to explain the whole Elena/doppelgänger thing? Frustrated, he dragged his fingers through his hair and tilted his head all the way back until his neck rested on the back of the couch.

"This is taking for-fucking-ever" he told Bonnie, his head lolled to the side to look at her.

"I'm waking the dead, Damon, not pulling a rabbit out of a hat. Be patient" Bonnie chided him.

"Yeah because you know how well I do patient" he said dryly.

Elena squeezed his hand and gave him a reassuring smile. He clutched her fingers tightly, finding the contact comforting.

"Not to nit-pick but you're actually waking the un-dead" Klaus pointed out and Caroline poked him in the side.

She was perched on the edge of the couch, her gaze trained on the coffin at the center of the room. Damon hadn't seen Caroline take her eyes off of Stefan since he'd entered the room. She was leaned forward with her elbows on her knees and she was chewing nervously at her thumbnail.

"The color is reaching his face" she said excitedly.

Damon got up to stand next to the coffin and peer inside. Sure enough, the eerie gray on Stefan's neck was turning flesh toned. Any moment now he would wake up and Damon would have his brother back. They'd had their rivalries, arguments, and had even threatened to kill one another on several occasions, but he'd been miserable the last sixteen years without his little brother. He did a good job of hiding it, but on the inside he felt like Caroline looked; a bundle of nerves and excitement. Just when Damon thought the anticipation would kill him, Stefan's eyes started to flutter and his chest began to rise and fall slowly. Damon held his breath and repressed the desire to shake Stefan awake. It was another excruciating minute before his brother's forest green eyes flicked open to meet his ocean blue ones.

"Damon?" Stefan croaked.

He smirked down at him "Hello, brother."

**To be continued…. **

**Ok boys and girls, that's it for Heart of Darkness. For everyone who has followed/fav'd/reviewed this story, I can't begin to thank you enough for your support. It really does mean the world to me! Writing this story has been so liberating for me and I hope you found the ending to your satisfaction. **

**I will be continuing the journey with these characters in another story to come (hopefully) very soon. It's tentatively been named Do Not Go Gentle (Yes, I'm stealing the names of my favorite TVD eps for my story titles but I'll always try to find ones that suit the plotlines). I'm toying with the idea of bringing some more of your favorite TVD characters into the mix but it's all very abstract at this point. **

**As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the story and/or my writing in general! **

**xoxo**


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